Tourists out to see K-pop, Mandopop spend more, stay longer

Live events likely drew 840,000 visitors and spurred $3.3b in first-half spending.

Rising concert and sports tourism spurred by the show-stopping performances of artists like Coldplay and K-pop star Taeyeon is driving longer stays and bigger spending in Hong Kong, pushing the industry to rethink strategies around major live events.

The shift was evident in the first quarter, when a surge of more than 90 major events, including the Hong KongSevens rugby tournament, contributed to a 9% year-on-year increase in foreign visitors to 12.2 million, according to travel service provider Collinson International Ltd.

“These events are forecast to attract approximately 840,000 visitors [in Hong Kong] and generate $3.3b in spending [in the first half],” Ian Lee, managing director for North Asia at Collinson, told Hong Kong Business.

Experiential travel is generating substantial economic benefits for local businesses and increasing interest in less-visited destinations, he said. Two-thirds of inquiries on concert packages last year came from people aged 24 to 35.

Globally, Collinson projects music tourism to hit $17.7b by 2032.

Seven of 10 music fans in Asia have travelled by plane to attend an event in the past three years or plan to do so in the next 12 months, Collinson, which operates the world’s biggest independent airport lounge network, said in a report in April.

Moreover, 91% have travelled to a new city or country for a music or sports event, and of those, 31% were repeat visitors. 

“Among those who fly for events, 56% travel more than once a year and 21% attend three or more events annually,” Lee said in an emailed reply to questions.

He added that 85% of music fans in Asia arrive one to three days before an event, whilst 84% stay the same number of days after. Thirty-one percent travel with a partner, whilst 47% travel with friends.

Collinson said there was a 13% year-on-year increase in airport lounge visits in Hong Kong by travellers from the Asia-Pacific region. 

More than half of fans in Asia have used airport amenities while attending events. The most popular services include airport lounges, gaming lounges, sleep pods, and spas. 

“Notably, during the Coldplay concert period (8–12 April 2025), we saw a 24% increase in visits from global travellers to Hong Kong airport lounges and travel experiences compared with the same period last year,” Lee said.

He said they are optimistic that music tourism would become a major engine in Hong Kong's tourism recovery.

“The city is actively planning and hosting numerous mega-music events in 2025 and 2026 that are expected to draw substantial international and regional attendance.”

Hong Kong will host more concerts for the rest of the year, such as the final stop of G-DRAGON's Übermensch World Tour in Asia, the last leg of BLACKPINK's Deadline World Tour, and King of Mandopop Jay Chou's Carnival World Tour. 

Upcoming mega events also include the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) and Hong Kong’s own Clockenflap Art & Music Festival. 

“These efforts, combined with Hong Kong’s continued investment in tourism infrastructure, such as the Kai Tak Stadium and airport expansion, will further solidify the city’s reputation as a premier destination for unique, world-class entertainment experiences,” Lee said. 

“As this sector grows, brands have exciting new opportunities to engage with high-value travellers through tailored experiences at every stage of the journey,” he added.