Hong Kong reclaimed its status as the world’s jewellery-trade crossroads on 14 September 2026 as Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW) swung open its doors at AsiaWorld-Expo. More than 3,000 exhibitors from 40 economies are taking part in the week-long sourcing extravaganza, which is split between AsiaWorld-Expo (14-18 September) and the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (16-20 September). Organiser Informa Markets says pre-registration data point to visitor numbers exceeding the 30,000 mark, roughly 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Industry insiders view JGW as a bell-wether for Hong Kong’s broader meetings-and-events rebound. The fair’s return to a two-venue format has boosted hotel bookings on Lantau Island and in Wan Chai, while airlines report 12-per-cent higher inbound seat capacity for the fair period, led by routes from Bangkok, Mumbai and Dubai. The Hong Kong Tourism Board has set up fast-track counters at the airport and West Kowloon high-speed-rail terminus to expedite badge collection for overseas delegates. For corporate mobility managers the fair is a stress-test of Hong Kong International Airport’s new e-channel facial-recognition gates, introduced in June, and of the MTR Airport Express’ revised timetable that added late-night services on 13 September. Exhibitors interviewed welcomed the smoother arrivals process compared with 2025, when manual health-declaration checks caused hour-long queues. The Government has also waived trade-fair work-visa fees for on-site booth staff staying fewer than 14 days under the Short-Term Visitors (STV) Scheme, a move lawyers say reduces lead times for pop-up hires by almost two weeks. HR advisers nevertheless remind companies to double-check that staff do not engage in activities—such as direct retail sales—that fall outside STV parameters. Beyond immediate tourism receipts, analysts at DBS bank forecast that deal-making during JGW could generate HK $12 billion in re-exports over the next 12 months, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as a free-port gateway for high-value goods even as regional rivals court the gem trade.
Source: JNA Show Daily / Informa Markets
