Exhibitors target broader customer base with diverse and high-quality products
A high-profile travel expo in Hong Kong, which opened on Thursday, features diverse tourism offerings that cater to evolving consumer demands, while targeting a broader customer base, including senior residents and those from the rest of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The four-day Hong Kong Holiday and Travel Expo 2025, built on last year’s successful February and September editions that each drew over 400,000 visitors, made a strong comeback at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. The event has 300 exhibitors from tourism enterprises and organizations across the world.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah highlighted the expo’s efforts to provide diverse, high-quality travel products and services, especially for senior travel enthusiasts.
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The expo offers free entry and dedicated access lanes for attendees aged 65 and above, with tailored gifts and exclusive discounts, which Yau praised as aligning with official promotion of “gray consumerism”.
Yau encourages the local tourism sector to seek innovative approaches to keep up with market trends and customer preferences to boost tourist footprints.
This year’s expo is providing HK$530,000 ($68,161.44) worth of gifts, with the first 500 visitors each day receiving a free travel SIM card.
The organizer also invited 15,000 people from other cities in the Greater Bay Area to participate free of charge to promote local tourism and the exhibition economy.
Carl Wong, chairman of the organizer, Exhibition Group Ltd, said that the expo has transformed into a carnival-like event, which attracts visitors, encourages spending, and stimulates travel interest.
Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, chairman of the Hong Kong Travel Industry Council, the event co-organizer, highlighted at the council booth that the organization focuses on promoting local immersive tours, providing authentic local travel advice, and raising awareness of tourism-related scams.
Tam said the expo is presenting a wealth of local travel information to serve inbound visitors with increasingly sophisticated travel demands and desire for less-conventional experiences in the city. He also called for joint efforts from the city’s tourism industry to provide specialized travel products and services that meet customers’ high expectations.
The event features promotions for the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan; Hong Kong Ocean Park’s panda-themed products; and local tourist attractions like Sha Tau Kok. Exhibitors offer packages for tour groups to novel destinations such as the Middle East, Africa, and north Asia, as well as cruise services to European countries.
Matsuda Hirokazu, deputy director of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Expo, is welcoming inquiries at its booth about the international event, which takes place from April to October in Osaka, Japan’s second-largest metropolis, in the Kansai region. The event is expected to attract 28 million visitors, including 3.5 million foreigners.
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He said that over 1,000 tickets had been sold at the tourism expo on Thursday, which demonstrates Hong Kong residents’ strong interest in traveling to Japan. He extended a welcome to more Hong Kong tourists and said he hopes that they will explore more of Japan’s attractions during their visits in 2025.
Travel enthusiast Jessica Lam, who travels outside Hong Kong at least twice a year, attended last year’s tourism expo in Hong Kong. She returned to the expo this year with friends, seeking the latest travel information and potential discounts.
Ricky Kwok, 21, visiting with classmates, said he was surprised by the prices of some products at the exhibition, particularly the significantly lower-than-expected costs of some cruise trips.
He said he hopes the exhibition will strengthen the promotion of local tourism products and will showcase the rich tourism resources within Hong Kong.
