Hong Kong is throwing its hat into the ring of thriving alternate tourism destinations as the travel industry continues to re-route.
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) tourism board wrapped the Sydney arm of its trans-Tasman Discover Hong Kong Roadshow last night, offering 180 trade representatives and travel advisors a comprehensive look at the destination’s tourism offerings.
Attendees enjoyed a Cantonese-inspired banquet at Palace Chinese Restaurant accompanied by presentations delivered by the Hong Kong Tourism Board team alongside representatives from Cathay Pacific and Sydney Airport.
While the roadshow was planned well before the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, HKTB senior marketing & events manager Karen Prideaux said that the timing was perfect.
“There are obviously changes in the world where you have to pivot and we’re always, in the travel industry, pivoting. This year has been some more pivoting, and more people going through Hong Kong,” she said.
That increase shows no signs of slowing down. Australian visitors to the region were up 19 percent from January to March 2026 compared with the same time last year.
In fact, March 2026 saw a major influx of Aussies with over 44,000 arrivals compared to roughly 28,000 the previous month.
More than a stopover
A ‘Hong Kong 101′ presentation was led by HKTB assistant manager, trade marketing Cara Viscuso to support advisors selling the destination.
Viscuso shared key statistics that of all overnight visitors to Hong Kong, 32 per cent are first timers, 50 per cent are solo travellers and 77 per cent are multi-destination travellers.
With travellers spending an average of 3.6 nights in the city, she highlighted the opportunity for advisors to extend their clients’ stays.
“There is a healthy number of people stopping in Hong Kong at the moment. We all need to re-route at the moment, and its a really great opportunity to enhance that traveller’s journey… because if you’re not stopping in Hong Kong, you’re missing out on a lot,” she said.
An enduring gateway
With daily flights still operating to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Hong Kong Airlines and 90 days of visa-free travel available to Aussie visitors, the region has a lot to celebrate.
Hong Kong International Airport was recently named the ‘Best Airport in the World’ in the 2026 Global Travel Awards.
The destination’s flagship airline, Cathay Pacific is enjoying a few celebrations of its own. This year, the airline is marking 80 years in operation with retro uniforms being rolled out across its network and the recent reopening of its flagship lounge, The Wing, First.
2025 saw Cathay Pacific named among the world’s top three best airlines in the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards, as well as being named World’s Best Economy Class Airline for the second consecutive year and winning World’s Best Inflight Entertainment System.
Cathay Pacific trade sales manager Ryan O’Connell said that the accolades were a reflection of the airline’s dedication.
“These might seem like small things, they’re really a testament to the dedication Cathay has to improving product and making sure we’re taking your passengers where they want to go in the best possible comfort we can,” he said.
The airline now services 110 destinations globally – an achievement that O’Connell described as significant growth for the company.
“We now fly to more destinations with more frequency than we ever have in the history of Cathay Pacific. It is a magnificent achievement considering in 2023 we were operating just 30 per cent of our network,” he said.
The Discover Hong Kong Roadshow will continue through May and June, with trade events slated for Auckland, Christchurch, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.
