ITE2025 Showcases Growth in Travel Exhibitions, B2B & B2C Programs with Focus on Gen Z, Family Travel & Hong Kong’s Outbound Market

Published on June 20, 2025

ITE2025 closing press release divided into two parts. Part 1 – OVERVIEW includes statistics of exhibitors, trade and public visitors. Part 2 – DEVELOPMENTS & PROGRAMS covers B2B, B2C, New Pavilions and Info of Hong Kong Outbound, etc.

Launched nearly 40 years ago, the annual ITE which in 2025 incorporate the 39^th ITE Leisure and the 20^th ITE MICE, is Asia’s leading international travel fair. Its 2025 edition named by the Hong Kong government as MEGA EVENT.

Also its 5th live edition since 2021, ITE2025 held successfully from June 12 to 15 at Halls 1A to 1E in HKCEC with two days each for trade visitors of whom over half non-Hong Kong residents, and quality public visitors of whom majority frequent travelers.

More visitors attended ITE this year, who are attracted, for examples, by its highly international exhibitors of which nearly 90% from outside and overseas and their offers; and also by the informative and timely trade and public seminars which total 135.

The next ITE Hong Kong will be held from June 11 to 14, 2026 at Halls 1 of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre with 2 trade and 2 public days. The first 1.5 trade day require registration for admission, while in remaining day / session visitors can pay to enter.

~ Opening Ceremony ~

The Honorable Mr. John KC Lee, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR has again sent his Message to welcome all participants of ITE Hong Kong 2025.

Our Guest of Honor (GOH), Miss LAW Shuk Pui, Rosanna, JP, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government officiated ITE2025’s Opening Ceremony on June 12 at ITE’s Grand Stage. During the Ceremony, the GOH and Guests on Stage took group photos respectively with Consul Generals and Travel Industry Leaders.

~ International Exhibitors draw more Quality Visitors ~

Attended by 502 exhibitors from 64 countries and regions of which around 1/3 from outside Asia; ITE2025 had around 88% of its exhibitors from overseas and outside. 

In trade days were 7626 buyers and trade visitors (BTV), up 8.6%. Geographically, 46.8% from Hong Kong; 33% from China (mainland) and 20.2% from overseas. In particular, BTV from GBA cities in Guangdong include individuals and official delegations by some travel trade associations there.

By sectors, 45.7% of BTVs are travel agents / operators; 15.3% MICE / corporate; 6.1% media including KOLs / bloggers; and 32.9% other travel sectors. There in public days were 70212 visitors, up 11.4%.

Thus, ITE2025 by exhibitors remain highly international. Service providers exhibiting directly without middleman which particularly attractive to Asian travel trade, thus drew more regional BTVs which up from 46.4% in 2024 to 53.2% this year.

~ Publicity in Hong Kong & Beyond ~

To invite regional BTVs, TKS the organizer been promoting ITE to overseas. For example, distributed in April this year to Asian media through international PR news agency was an ITE press release titled “a great sourcing platform for Asian Travel Trade” which in a month picked up by 475 media and drew 369166 release views and hits.

Held 10 days before opening was the Pre-Show Press Conference, and the day before the opening was Media Onsite Preview each of which attended by around 40 reporters and journalists from TV stations, dailies, news agencies, trade journals and online media etc.

~ Our Supporters~

Organized by TKS Exhibition Services Ltd., again, ITE Hong Kong 2025 is strongly supported by Ministry of Culture & Tourism, P.R. China with Hong Kong Tourism Board, Macao Government Tourism Office and Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong etc. as supporters.

~ “From Recovery to Development” – Theme 2025 ~

Several developments keep momentum for growth and quality enhancements! For example, two initiatives, namely Travel Mart and Kids’ Cosplay Catwalk for developing markets of Youth / Gen Z Travel and Family / Young Parents Travel.

Products in Travel Mart were developed from idea when traveling which has also the objective to invite young travelers to reimagine the meaning and possibilities of travel from new perspectives. Participated by over 20 teams, held for the Kids’ Cosplay Catwalk were onsite and online polling which drew hundreds of “like” weeks before opening.

The results, more Gen Z and young parents attended ITE, whose traveling in pandemic years were down far more than the seniors. Likely a reflection, ITE visitors 40 years old or above accounted for nearly 60% during Covid-19.  

A record number of 49 KOLs and Bloggers held travel seminars in the two public days, and many took part in trade day activities like KOL Networking and KOL Grand Tour for greater interactions with NTOs and exhibitors.

For greater convenience to BTV from GBA cities in Guangdong, the New / Niche Destination trade seminars this year for the first time equipped with AI-simultaneous interpretation facilities in Chinese and English for their convenience.

~ Free and Optional B2B Program ~

While free-flow is the main format in ITE, Business Matching (BM) where buyers met sellers in one room for making efficient contacts will also be held and what’s more as a free service. Took part in our BM this year were 35 buyers and 33 sellers, who stayed on well beyond the stipulated time.

Targeting those with their own business reasons to attend ITE and only requesting them a reasonable portion of their time, post-pandemic, we only subsidize but `stop hosting buyers. In 2025, we had a total of 165 subsidized and registered buyers this year.

With KOL playing a fast growing role in the travel trade! To promote more interactions, held again this year was the KOL Networking which a gathering with NTO and exhibitors; and there was the new Guided Tour for KOL facilitating them visiting exhibitors at their pavilion / stand.

Our B2B program this year also include industry forum on sustainability, prize presentation ceremony, and presentations by national and regional tourism authorities some of which with bilateral meetings while others performances, and exhibitors’ own seminars etc.

While exhibitors paid rental for seminar facilities, most of the above services including Business Matching are free services to exhibitors. In fact, our rental is largely inclusive.

~ Public Days – B2C Program ~

Unique for ITE Hong Kong is its highly popular Public Travel Seminar. This year, there were over 100 such seminars, drew a total of 9224 audiences (up 6.4%), and among the speakers were 56 KOL / Bloggers.

The most popular seminar this year was attended by over 400 audiences – standing and seating included. Some of the KOL speakers engaged by exhibitors, who are invited to apply for free session of 25 minutes.

As alternative to apply for free session in seminar room or grand stage, exhibitors can hold in own stand, for examples, workshop, performance, game, photo booth, distributing souvenirs, mascot and show, etc. 

~ Selling to Public Visitors ~

Post-pandemic, ITE public visitors often use their own mobile inside the exhibition halls to book and pay for holidays, which involve no cash thus more convenient. To push onsite selling, exhibitors, from domestic to foreign, are therefore advised to facilitate visitors’ book and pay online.

Our annual survey consistently found ITE public visitors mature (nearly 60% aged 40 or above), educated (50% university & over 20% post-secondary), and frequent travelers. In short, they are premium travelers and over 90% prefer traveling in FIT.

ITE2025 Public Visitor Survey on Travel Frequency

Post pandemic, they often use their own mobile inside the exhibition halls to book and pay for holidays, which involve no cash thus more convenient. To push onsite selling, exhibitors, from domestic to foreign, are therefore advised to facilitate visitors book and pay online.

In short, ITE Hong Kong is a great networking and sourcing platform of various types of travel product, suppliers, trends and ideas for Asian travel trade, premium FIT and tour group travelers etc.

~ Hong Kong Outbound Market Fully Recovered ~

Hong Kong residents made over 100 million departures in 2024, which exceed the 2019 total thus full recovered. Significantly, Hong Kong had a quality 2023 recovery – 84% by outbound spending which higher than the 77% by departure. Pre-pandemic, Hong Kong often ranked Asia’s 3^rd or 4^th major source market by spending.

Each year, TKS holds the annual ITE Public Visitor Survey which usually draws some 3500 replies. It covers visitors’ traveling preferences and outlook. Findings of the survey this year will be published in coming July / August.