Discover the World at ITE2026: Your Ticket to Global Travel Trends!

HONG KONG, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Asia’s premier travel event, ITE2026 {vi2}, which comprises the 40th ITE Leisure and the 21st ITE MICE {vi4}, is scheduled to take place from June 11 to 14 {vi6} at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. This annual event begins with two days exclusively for industry professionals, followed by two days open to the general public. {vi7}{vi8}ITE2025 was highly successful, recording an 8.6% increase in Buyers & Trade Visitors {vi9} (BTV and an 11.4% rise in public visitors (PV) {vi13}. Notably, 88% of the 502 exhibitors {vi15} and 53% of the 7,626 BTV participated from overseas, with one-third of the 64 exhibiting countries and regions {vi18} coming from outside Asia. {vi20}{vi21}Over 70% of the 7,626 BTV originated from the Greater Bay Area (GBA), including key cities such as Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. In 2024, this region boasted a population of 87.4 million and an impressive GDP of $2.08 trillion, establishing it as the world’s 12th largest economy. {vi23}{vi24}By sector, 45.7% of the BTV were travel agents, while 15.3% represented corporate and MICE professionals. Among the 70,212 PV, 48% had undertaken at least three international trips, and an impressive 91% were either prepared to increase their spending or maintain their current travel budgets. {vi29}{vi30}Hong Kong’s passion for travel remains robust. In 2024, the city ranked {vi34}th{vi35} as the world’s 14th highest spender on international tourism, with expenditures reaching $28.9 billion and 104.7 million trips, marking a remarkable recovery of 107% and 111% from pre-pandemic levels respectively. Outbound travel also increased by 17% during the first four months of 2025. According to Trip.com’s December 2024 report, Hong Kong travelers now favor luxury accommodations and lesser-known destinations. {vi36}ITE2025 further enhanced its program with the introduction of new segments such as the Youth {vi38} and Family Travel {vi40} Pavilions, aimed at attracting the Gen Z demographic and modern young parents. During the trade days, approximately 50 influencers {vi44} participated in networking events and the Grand Tour, delivered insightful presentations at public seminars, and provided AI-powered simultaneous interpretation during sessions on niche or new destinations. {vi48}{vi49}The B2B program offered complimentary benefits, including free Business Matching — characterized by open networking, speaking opportunities, and pre-show promotion. For the B2C segment, exhibitors were granted a free 25-minute seminar slot to engage with the public. {vi57}The Business Matching sessions proved extremely popular, with 135 trade and public seminars attracting 9,224 participants. The high level of engagement at exhibitor booths clearly reflected vigorous business activity. {vi59}Notably, half of ITE’s public visitors hold a university degree, while an additional 23% possess post-secondary qualifications. Many of these visitors are English-proficient, technologically adept, and accustomed to online booking and mobile payments, presenting a promising opportunity for direct sales to these well-informed travelers. {vi61}Organized by TKS Exhibition Services Ltd., ITE receives substantial support from China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, along with endorsements from entities such as the Hong Kong Tourism Board. For further details, please visit https://www.itehk.com/travelexpo/doc/press/ITE26_KickOff_15Jul25_en.pdf. For additional information, please visit www.itehk.com, contact their WhatsApp at +85294008444, or email travel@tkshk.com. {vi63}{vi64}