The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has announced that MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) visitor arrivals exceeded 280,000 in the first quarter of 2010, a 30%-rise compared to the same period last year. Most market regions benefited from a recovering economy and recorded double-digit growth.
HKTB Chairman James Tien said: “Last year, MICE visitor arrivals to Hong Kong were impacted by the global financial crisis and the outbreak of human swine influenza. Many corporations also put on hold their corporate meetings and incentive travel activities. As the global economy shows signs of rebound since the beginning of this year, we have seen a rise in the number of MICE events in Hong Kong in the first three months, driving an increase in overall MICE visitor arrivals. We expect that this upward trend will continue into the next few quarters should the current growth momentum of the economy sustain.
“Riding on the positive macro environment and the ensuing business opportunity, the HKTB will work closely with MICE events organisers, the Government and trade partners to attract more MICE visitors to Hong Kong. In 2009, the ‘Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong’ Office of the HKTB successfully secured several hundreds of MICE events to be held in Hong Kong before or during 2013. These events are expected to bring over 150,000 additional MICE visitors to Hong Kong.”
The table below summarises overnight MICE visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2010:
| Market Regions | Overnight MICE visitor arrivals | % change (Vs. 2009) |
| The Americas | 31,246 | 52.30% |
| Europe, Africa and the Middle East | 38,869 | 35.30% |
| Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific | 9,362 | 29.60% |
| North Asia | 32,980 | 35.50% |
| South and Southeast Asia | 48,976 | 59.10% |
| Taiwan | 12,396 | 9.30% |
| Mainland China | 106,575 | 13.30% |
| Total* | 281,787 | 28.90% |
| * Total figure includes arrivals from Macau SAR | ||
