Hong Kong is trying to lure travellers from elsewhere beyond the mainland. Who else is on its wishlist?

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To plug into the educated Middle Eastern industry, the Hong Kong government has been promoting its products to people of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

By establishing stronger collaborations and attracting more traders and travelers from this crucial place, these initiatives aim to expand Hong Kong’s economy.

Finding trip guides who can talk Arabic or Farsi, as well as other Middle Eastern dialects, is challenging, according to Mr. Lam from HKFTU, but efforts are being made to find more English-speaking guidelines.

While South Asian and Muslim markets are “growing quickly,” mainland visitors continue to be the main group, according to Assoc Prof. Wan. &nbsp,

As such, even as Hong Kong aims to tap other areas, it is very unlikely these efforts may reduce the push to get mainlanders, she noted.

CHASING MICE AND OTHER Businesses

Hong Kong has also been training its sights on rebuilding the key MICE ( meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions ) sector, which was decimated by the pandemic.

The town welcomed 700, 000 MICE guests in the first quarter of 2024, about 80 per share of 2018 rates. Officials anticipate that this year’s number of major activities will increase from 150 to over 210, probably attracting 1.7 million visitors.

MICE travellers are usually bigger spenders, forking out an average of Supplier$ 8, 000 per explore- 20 per share to 30 per cent higher than the average spend of another over visitors, according to HKTB.

Discussions &amp, Exhibitions Hong Kong, a division of HKTB, claims that Hong Kong will variety over 60 MICE activities from September to the end of the year.

More away, the area is set to welcome activities like SIGGRAPH Asia, a computer graphics agreement, in December 2025. It was last held in Hong Kong in 2013. &nbsp,

One of the biggest events taking place in the country in 2026 is the World Cancer Congress and the International Federation of Landscape Architects World Congress.

Beyond chasing MICE, Hong Kong is also looking to tap other businesses. Regulators have been positioning the area as a social hub on the global stage by fostering local skills in music, video, style, and architecture.