Could the Middle East conflict dent turnout at Hong Kong Rugby Sevens?

Attendance numbers at Hong Kong Sevens are expected to be resilient despite travel concerns over conflict in the Middle East, the event’s organiser has said, even though some operators have warned of potential pressure from rising costs and flight disruptions.The flagship rugby tournament, which runs from Friday to Sunday this week, traditionally draws tens of thousands of overseas visitors each year.But this year’s event is taking place more than a month after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, with the conflict disrupting airline routes and raising fuel costs.Bryan Rennie, executive director of commercial and business operations at Hong Kong China Rugby, said the tournament continued to draw strong international interest, noting that overseas visitors traditionally accounted for about 30 per cent of attendees.“So far, we have not seen any notable difference in the rate of ticket sales [arising] from the conflict in Iran,” he said.Key customer markets include the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe, North America and Australia, as well as regional markets such as mainland China, Japan and Singapore.