Hong Kong postpones ITE 2021 as it readies to reopen borders

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

 

News (1)

Hong Kong ready to reopen borders

According to TKS Exhibition Services Ltd, the organizer for ITE & MICE Hong Kong 2021 (ITE 2021), with pandemics in better control and vaccinations started, Hong Kong is now more ready to reopen borders, which many been calling so as to speedily revive the economy and meet pent-up travel demand! In fact, the call to reopen borders echo in many parts of the world.

Hong Kong’s daily total of new confirmed covid cases have been dropping from lower triple digits in last November to double digits in January.  In February, about half of the days saw daily total number of cases lower than 20 while in other days the daily new case mostly range between 20 and 40; and vaccination started with now two types of vaccine available. Into March, there are more days with daily new cases in single digit.  On 17 March 2021, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam revealed in the Legislative Council efforts to lobby the mainland to waive some parts of its inbound restrictions for vaccinated Hong Kong citizens.

In Hong Kong, there exist strong pent-up travel demand once restrictions lifted, revealed in a series of survey last year on ITE’s public and trade visitors!  An online survey in late January this year with over 1700 replies from Hong Kong travel agents and hotels found around 20% respondents think it possible to resume cross border travel within 6 months (July this year) with mainland China cities.

News (2)

ITE 2021 goes hybrid and safety measures in fairground

In short, there is a good chance successfully holding ITE Hong Kong 2021, but for a wider safety margin and more time for preparations its date moves from June to 29 July to 1 August 2021.

Preparations include, for examples, installing health and safety measures in the fairground and activating online platform for not only for pre and post show online meetings but also as contingency during ITE just in case then some borders still remain closed.  

Based on bookings in May and June last year, ITE2021 will use 3 halls, namely Halls 1A, B and C of HKCEC, instead of 5 in a normal year!

ITE well covers the Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (the Bay) comprises the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and 7 other municipalities in Guangdong Province. The Bay area has over 72 million people but total number of confirmed cases fewer than 14,000! At the end of 2019, the Bay has a combined GDP of USD 1,679.5 billion and per capita GDP at USD 23,371. Thus, the Bay area is a large and relatively safe source market.

The annual ITE, which is Hong Kong’s only travel fair, has in its 2 trade days some 11000 buyers and trade visitors of whom over 60% from Hong Kong and 20% from other cities in the Bay; and around 85% of its some 75000 visitors in the 2 public days are FIT.  That ITE 2021 eligible for government subsidy means exhibitors, foreign and local included, can enjoy substantial discount on space rental. Details of the online platform, safety measures, profiles of visitors and market reports are available at www.itehk.com.

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Worldwide efforts to launch vaccine passports and revive tourism

In a move described by some foreign media as a first step to a global health passport for international travel, China on 8 March 2021 launches online application for Health Certificate! On 15 March, China’s embassies in Philippines, USA, Japan, Pakistan, Israel, Thailand and Gabon streamline visa procedure for foreigners inoculated with Chinese SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to visit China for business or humanitarian reason. This applies also to foreigners living in Hong Kong.

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) launches a Travel Pass mobile app which from 15 March 2021 Singapore Airline will use on some routes while 30 other airlines will start trial in the coming 2 months.  IATA, in media interview this month, project personal and leisure travel will return from the second half of this year and tourists hungry to be free again.

Prior to the implementation of the IATA Travel Pass, EU leaders agreed in a virtual summit on 25 Feb 2021 to launch vaccine passport on or before coming summer to help tourism industry to recover.  In fact, the European Travel Commission, which conducted “Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel” in last November and December, found growing interest to travel. The December survey found 52% of the European respondents plan to travel within the coming 6 months, which is 5% higher than that in November.

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Countries that reopen to tourists

From 25 March 2021, the Seychelles reopen to tourists with negative PCR test result. 

Thailand travel agents consider start selling inbound tour packages in April, and from 1 Oct 2021, Thai resort islands of Phuket and Koh Samui will admit vaccinated foreign tourists without or with limited quarantine. 

Indonesia will form reciprocal travel corridor with countries with successful vaccination program. Thus, foreign visitors may visit Bali in June. 

In Europe, the UK is re-opening border as early as in May while Greece will do so on 14 May 2021.