International Travel Expo to prepare industry for revival of tourism

Over 100 exhibitors from 16 countries, including China, Japan, Argentina, Iran and Spain, will participate in this year's Hong Kong International Travel Expo which opens on July 29. 

Organizer TKS Exhibition Services Ltd planned to invite exhibitors or exhibits to introduce Glamping – Glamorous Camping, theme shops, and Green Tourism in Hong Kong. 

There will also be exhibits on traveling in the Greater Bay Area. Theme restaurants that are hidden gems will be introduced as well. 

Overseas exhibitors will meet visitors online inside the exhibition halls, while others work with their local office or agents to have their staff manning the booths. 

Alice Chan Cheung Lok-yee, executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, hoped the expo can help understand travelers' interest and prepare the industry for reviving post-pandemic traveling. 

Chan cited a recent survey conducted in May, saying that 44 percent of some 1,400 respondents will travel outside Hong Kong within three months after border restriction is lifted. It showed the strong pent-up travel demand in the city, she added. 

She also cited that there were around 13,300 workers from travel agencies in the city as of early July. The figure dropped by over 5,000 compared to that two years ago. 

Chan pointed out the industry is in a difficult situation to operate businesses and hoped the government won't give up on them.