By Spl Correspondent
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has reported a robust recovery in the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector during the first half of 2024. Between January and June 2024, Hong Kong welcomed approximately 21 million visitors, with around half staying overnight. Of these overnight guests, MICE visitors numbered about 700,000, reaching roughly 80% of the figures from 2018. This makes MICE the fastest-recovering segment within Hong Kong’s tourism industry.
The MICE sector not only attracts high-spending visitors but also bolsters Hong Kong’s reputation as a global meeting hub. Each overnight MICE attendee spent an average of HK$8,000, which is about 20-30% higher than the average spending of all inbound travelers. In 2023, MICE visitors stayed longer, averaging 3.7 nights compared to 3.2 nights for all overnight guests. Additionally, MICE tourism has seen a significant increase in international tourists, with half of the overnight MICE visitors coming from abroad, compared to 25% of regular overnight travelers.
Driving Future Growth
To sustain this momentum, the HKTB has been actively facilitating bids for both regional and international events, securing over 60 major international MICE events for Hong Kong from 2024 to 2026. Many of these events will be hosted in the SAR for the first time, and are expected to draw more than 180,000 Mainland and international visitors.
Hong Kong continues to leverage its strengths in sectors such as innovation and technology (I&T), medical sciences, and financial services, while also expanding into new areas such as aviation, architecture, and education. Noteworthy upcoming events include the return of ACM SIGGRAPH Asia 2025, the first-ever SmartCon 2024 and Consensus Hong Kong 2025, as well as Super Terminal Expo 2024, Routes World 2025, and Airspace Asia Pacific 2025 & 2027 in the aviation sector.
Additionally, Hong Kong will host prominent inaugural world congresses, including the World Cancer Congress 2026 and the International Federation of Landscape Architects World Congress 2026.
With this diverse and exciting line-up, Hong Kong is well-positioned to continue its leadership in the global MICE industry.