Hong Kong had registered a growth of 7.3 per cent from India. Close to 83,000 Indian visitors arrived into Hong Kong in Q1 2019. While Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru continue top three source markets; there is a growing demand from Ahmedabad, Cochin and Pune. In 2018, 50 per cent of overnight visitor arrivals were from the young mid-career segment and we also saw growth in family segment that contributed close of 34 per cent of overnight visitor arrivals from India with an average length of stay of four nights.
Puneet Kumar, Director, Market Development (India), Hong Kong Tourism Board said, “We want Hong Kong to stay on top of mind among Indian travellers and we want to continue building their affinity towards Hong Kong. In 2019, our focus is to efficiently communicate and engage with the young affluent Indian travellers to bring alive Hong Kong’s core experiences such as living culture and festivals, rejuvenated local neighbourhoods, soft adventure in green great outdoors, vibrant dining and nightlife scene, action packed global events and cruising from Hong Kong along with iconic sights and sound of top attractions.”
He further added, “We have lined up multiple-phased promotional campaigns in partnership with leading media, trade and non-trade partners to engage with leisure, cruise and MICE segment. With improved air connectivity on Cathay Pacific from all 6 key Indian ports and two new LCC’s Indigo and SpiceJet flying from Delhi and Bengaluru, we are positive about increase in market share this year. All these initiatives will make Hong Kong super attractive all-year-round holiday destination among Indians.”
Hong Kong Tourism Board has also witnessed growth in the fly-cruise segment from India. Through various offers and new products like Genting World Dream Cruises and other cruise experiences with Voyagers of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas by Royal Caribbean International, HKTB aims at stimulating demand for cruising from India.
Incentive group travel from India is another high growth segment. In 2019, Hong Kong sets off to a new MICE tourism era and will be highlighting a world of opportunities for MICE planners through the city’s latest product offerings, enhanced connectivity and new experiences and new MICE privileges of the Hong Kong Rewards! Programme, all designed to entice incentive planners for choosing Hong Kong as their next destination.
For instance, corporates will be able to plan seamless travel in Greater Bay Area with the two new super-infrastructures — Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the High-speed Rail Link (HK section), significantly cutting the travelling time from Zhuhai to Hong Kong from 4 hours to 45 minutes and directly link Hong Kong to 44 cities in Mainland China, respectively.
