The Hong Kong Tourism Board’s PartnerNet portal issued a circular on 15 October inviting local travel companies, hotels and destination-management firms to co-exhibit under the Hong Kong pavilion at China International Travel Mart (CITM) 2026, to be held in Haikou from 12–14 December. CITM is mainland China’s largest B2B tourism fair, attracting more than 100 countries and over 60,000 buyers, according to the organisers. HKTB will subsidise booth construction, basic furniture and on-site business-matching sessions. Each co-exhibitor may register one delegate, with a participation fee of HK $9,800 that covers a three-day badge, listing in the official catalogue and access to a hosted-buyer appointment scheduler. Early-bird applications close on 31 October. For Hong Kong suppliers, Haikou is strategically significant. Hainan’s free-trade-port framework allows duty-free shopping and visa-free entry for 59 nations, making it an emerging leisure and MICE competitor. By showcasing Hong Kong’s “one-trip-multiple-stops” itineraries linking Macau and Guangdong, HKTB hopes to cement the city’s role as the international gateway to the Greater Bay Area. Companies with large expatriate or project teams in southern China should note that CITM traditionally doubles as a policy forum. Officials from the National Immigration Administration often brief the industry on forthcoming facilitation measures. Attendance therefore offers an early read-out on any tweaks that could affect business-travel visa quotas or group-tour regulations for 2027. Participation also gives Hong Kong-based mobility managers a chance to assess new airline routes into Hainan and to forge contacts with resort developers whose projects may require foreign specialists. Given the intense competition for talent in China’s tourism sector, visibility at CITM can translate into partnership opportunities and staff-exchange programmes.
Source: HKTB PartnerNet
