For many years, ITE Hong Kong is the city’s only and Asia’s leading international travel fair. Each year since 2021, TKS has been holding physical edition of ITE which all with over half non-Hong Kong exhibitors; and been conducting survey on tourism recovery. With recovery quickening pace in 2024, TKS held two separate surveys. The first one is on its public visitors which was published in July, and this one on its MICE visitors which focus on recovery status of Outbound (O/B) MICE.
Between March and May this year, TKS sent online invitation to join this survey largely to MICE visitors of ITE from the travel and MICE trade in Hong Kong and neighboring cities. Also, our warmest thank to the International Live Events Association (ILEA) Asia Chapter which provided many professional inputs during the survey’s preparation!
FINDINGS SUMMARY
Though a late start in 2023 comparing to the public, by mid- 2024 some 60% of MICE survey respondents restarted recovery while nearly 70% expect full recovery by mid-2025. While there certainly are attempts to control costs, around half respondents will keep or spend more. With say flight cost yet to go back to pre-pandemic level, organizations are realistic on per capita spending. While majority think there will be a new normal in post pandemic O/B MICE, sustainability remains highly important. Likely, negative impacts more focus on holding fewer activity with fewer participants.
(A) RESPONDENTS
The respondents are familiar with O/B MICE. In fact, a total of 131 organizations / companies replied, of whom 82% have held such activities in pre-pandemic years. (A1)
A significant portion of them have outside origin, as 22% respondents have their head office outside Greater China which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. By size, slightly over half are SME with 56% having fewer than 25 staff, while over one-third have 50 or more. (A2 & A3)
(A1) How frequent holding Outbound MICE in a pre-pandemic year?
(A2) Size of organization (Number of employees) | (A3) Location of Head Office |
(B) RECOVERY
Around 60% of respondents replied their organization already re-started O/B MICE, and specifically, 25% in 2023 though flights then costly and limited, and 34% in 2024. (B1 & B2)
Comparatively, MICE recovery according to this survey far slower than Hong Kong public which by outbound spending (*1) and departure (*2) in 2023 already recovered respectively to 84% and 77%.
(B1) Restarted Outbound MICE | (B2) When to Restart Outbound MICE? |
Remarks: Hong Kong residents in 2023 spent US$ 22.7 billion (1) on outbound and made 72.2 million departures (*2), respectively 84% and 77% return to pre-pandemic level.
(C) POST-PANDEMIC OUTBOUND (O/B) MICE
As many as 76% respondents agree there will be a “new normal” for post-pandemic outbound MICE. Coincidentally, the same percentage of 76% respondents expect full recovery by mid-2025 who perhaps use the perceived new normal as yardstick. (C1 & C2).
(C1) New normal in Post Pandemic O/B MICE
| (C2) When a full recovery for your organization? |
Comparing with pre-pandemic, 21% to hold fewer activity and19% more; 23% to have fewer participant and 20% more; while 15% reduce per capita spending and 30% to increase. (C3, C4 & C5). Adding up percentages of “same” and “more”, C3 total 48 (29 + 19), C4 total 53 (33 + 20) and C5 total 60 (30 + 30). Overall, findings indicated cut back in total will more likely be small.
Post-pandemic Outbound MICE | Fewer ò | Same – | More ñ | Not Sure |
C3: # of Outbound MICE activities | 21% | 29% | 19% | 41% |
C4: # of Participants | 23% | 33% | 20% | 24% |
C5: Average Per Capita Spending | 15% | 30% | 30% | 25% |
However, C3 and C4 also indicated respondents try holding down the total cost with fewer activity and participants. Rather contradictory in C5 as there more to increase per capita spending than cutting back which would have boosted the total cost per activity! We believe it is the result of realistic planning as flight cost still higher than pre-pandemic. In another word, per capita cost less controllable than numbers of delegate and number of activity.
For reference, Table C6 below on pre-pandemic per capita spending and C7 on interested post-pandemic destination are enclosed. With only 3% not considering this factor, sustainability is another important factor in post-pandemic O/B MICE (C8).
C6: Per capita per day spending (inclusive) in pre-pandemic O/B MICE
Below HK$1000 | HK$1001–3000 | HK$3001-5000 | Over HK$5000 |
21% | 44% | 20% | 15% |
C7: Post-pandemic O/B MICE interested Destination(s)
Greater China | 69% | Europe | 24% | North Americas | 10% |
South & SE Asia | 58% | Africa + Middle East | 7% | South Americas | 1% |
NE Asia | 27% | Oceania | 13% | Notes: Multiple answers so total over 100% |
C8: When sourcing suppliers, how important (as primary criterion) is sustainability?
Preferred but not compulsory | Important | Not Important |
51% | 46% | 3% |
Next ITE Hong Kong
ITE Hong Kong 2025, which comprises of the 39th ITE (Leisure) and the 20th ITE MICE, will be held from 12 to 15 June 2025 in 5 halls from Halls 1A to 1E of Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Again, ITE2025 is strongly supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China with Hong Kong Tourism Board, Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong and Macao Government Tourism Office etc. as supporters.
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