Hong Kong’s exhibition business expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels by end of year
- ‘Following the opening of borders earlier last year … We have returned to about 70 to 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels,’ commerce chief Algernon Yau says
- Korean cultural event K-Con, US festival ComplexCon and Super Terminal Expo to take place in China or Asia for first time, he adds
Hong Kong’s exhibition business is expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels by the end of year, the commerce chief has said, after the industry made rapid recovery following the full reopening of the borders in 2023.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah on Monday also highlighted three of the city’s coming mega events that would be held in China or Asia for the first time – the world’s largest Korean cultural convention KCON, US street culture festival ComplexCon and the first transport and logistics Super Terminal Expo.
“Following the opening of borders earlier last year, the recovery of the exhibition industry has been better than expected,” he said. “We have returned to about 70 to 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
“For 2024, our outlook is that the exhibition industry will return to and even exceed levels before the pandemic.”
Trade Development Council Executive Director Margaret Fong Shun-man added that since March last year the number of exhibitors, buyers and expo visitors had reached as much as 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
“And so from our point of view … we are quite confident that we will be able to make, definitely 90 per cent and hopefully even 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels within 2024.”