Study: HK travellers the highest daily spenders in APAC during 2024 Olympics

Hong Kong travellers are the highest daily spenders in the Asia-Pacific region during the Olympic Games 2024, a study finds.

Conducted by Visa, the official payment technology partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the data revealed the spending patterns of travellers from Hong Kong during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 period from 1 July to 11 August.

Visa has reported that during an average trip length of six days, Hong Kong travellers spent over HK$1,800 per day, marking the highest daily spending share in the APAC region, and reflecting a 3.4 times increase compared to pre-trip spending.

Moreover, over 15,000 Hong Kong travellers visited France during the Olympic Games, generating over HK$163 million in spending. This represents a more than 110% increase in Hong Kong visitors and an almost 80% uplift in spending respectively. The data were collected in France between 1 July and 11 August, tracking visitor numbers and spending per card by Hong Kong cardholders, VisaNet.

Meanwhile, the number of affluent Visa Infinite and Visa Signature cardholders—classified as wealthy Hong Kong travellers visiting France during the Olympic Games—doubled, resulting in an over 80% increase in spending.

Additionally, the data revealed that there is a significant uplift in both Hong Kong visitors and spending in several neighbouring European countries, including Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. Spain experienced the highest growth, with an over 110% increase in Hong Kong visitors and an almost 180% increase in spending. Over 60% of Hong Kong cardholders’ spending in France was on apparel and accessories, department stores, retail goods, and dining.

Don’t miss: New World Development and Visa enhance loyalty experience to grow member base

Paulina Leong, general manager, Visa Hong Kong and Macau, said: “Looking into the spending and travel patterns from this data, it is very encouraging to see the trust and confidence that Hong Kong travellers place in Visa as their preferred way to pay when they are abroad. We look forward to bringing more rewarding experiences for Visa cardholders through our global and local sponsorships of sporting events and concerts.”

“As the worldwide payment technology partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, we’re proud to promote a more inclusive world through sports, and create shared value with athletes, their fans, and travellers from around the world. Our two-time Olympic gold medallist and Team Visa athlete, Cheung Ka Long, is a perfect example of how his inspiring journey and sensational performance during Paris 2024 has connected everyone in Hong Kong," Leong added. 

As part of its partnership with the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Visa is responsible for creating a robust and venue-specific plan alongside large-scale operations. For the past three years, Visa has collaborated with the organising committee to establish a customised payment network throughout Paris and beyond, ensuring that Visa contactless payments are accepted at 3,500 points of sale across 32 Olympic venues and 16 Paralympic venues, according to the release.

Explore the latest digital marketing trends to empower your brand for sustainable growth. Join 200+ industry players and marketers at Digital Marketing Asia 2024 Hong Kong on 22-23 October and discover the key to sustainable growth in the new digital era, network with industry leaders and find out more about real-life marketing wins and thought-provoking ideas.

Related articles:

New World Development and Visa enhance loyalty experience to grow member base
Visa and MTR offer citywide concert ticket giveaways to commuters
Visa names new senior VP and head of corporate comms