Hong Kong Tourism Board hosts 50 MICE visitors for a night cruise of Victoria Harbour

Senior executives of multinational companies rave about the trip and look forward to visiting Hong Kong again for hiking and local food

A popular choice for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), Hong Kong is also a twin hub for international shipping and aviation. It recently hosted the “14th Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference”, a two-day regional annual event that brings together 2,200 participants from more than 30 countries, including senior executives from renowned overseas and mainland Chinese companies.

After the conference, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, invited around 50 guests to board the traditional Chinese junk boat “Aqua Luna” for an exquisite night cruise of Victoria Harbour. Sipping their drinks, guests soaked up the mesmerizing views of the city’s skyline, a bonus that elevated the enjoyment of their business trip.

Happily taking selfies despite the drizzle, guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Among them is first-time visitor Nicholas Borsotto, Global Head of Lenovo AI Innovators, who says: “I think it’s one of the most beautiful skylines that I’ve ever seen.” Coming from Germany, he visited the Big Buddha and went museum hopping. He is particularly impressed by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and M+. “The confluence of East and West, and tradition and modernity was really, really special,” he enthuses. He has become a great fan of dumplings and hopes to taste more local fare. He also plans to visit Hong Kong again with his partner.

Ulla Keino, CEO of a company engaged in international logistics trade and event management, is a frequent visitor of Hong Kong’s large-scale conferences. She commends the organizers for their meticulous arrangements. “I didn’t have to worry about anything. I just checked my schedule and proceed accordingly,” she says. Coming from Finland, she lived in Hong Kong many years ago and believes that Hong Kong is still as beautiful as ever. She loves hiking in Hong Kong and hopes to visit the Big Buddha, Lamma Island and Ping Chau. She also has plans to return for a vacation with her family next year.

The government is proactively promoting mega events, including organizing large-scale international conferences and exhibitions to attract high-yield visitors to Hong Kong. According to HKTB, the number of overnight MICE visitors in the first nine months of 2024 reached 980,000, which is 80 percent of the same period in 2018, making it the fastest recovery tourist segment.

HKTB has successfully bid for and facilitated more than 80 large-scale MICE events to be held in Hong Kong between 2024 and 2027. The number of participants is expected to exceed 240,000, of which at least 200,000 will be visitors from mainland China and abroad. This will help cement Hong Kong’s position as the World’s Meeting Place and the Events Capital of Asia.