A recent report revealed that around 8.5 million Pakistanis traveled abroad in 2025. While many view this as concerning migration, there’s a hidden business opportunity: the surge in demand for travel essentials, especially luggage bags.
This guide explores why luggage manufacturing is a high-potential business, the market scope, the manufacturing process, and why local production is profitable.
What is a Luggage Bag?
In the marketplace, you may have heard bags called by different names: luggage bags, suitcases, travel bags, trolley bags, hard-shell bags, or cabin bags, depending on their design, size, and usage.
A luggage bag is a travel essential designed to carry personal belongings safely during journeys. Whether for work, education, or migration, luggage has become mandatory for air travel.
Although a luggage consists of zippers, locks, wheels, internal fabric lining, handles, our main interest is in the outer shell that forms the structure of the bag. The shell is made from plastic using injection molding machines with materials like ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), Polycarbonate (PC), or Polypropylene (PP), depending on required flexibility and strength.
Standard Sizes and Market Segments
If we talk about the product SKUs or manufacturing options, these bags come in three forms:
- 20-inch (Cabin Size): For short trips and carry-on travel, popular with frequent flyers and business travelers.
- 24-inch (Medium Size): For week-long trips, offering a balanced price and storage capacity.
- 28-inch (Large Size): For long-haul international travel, preferred by families, students, and people relocating abroad.
Market Size and Opportunity
The global luggage market reached $41.04 billion in 2025 (Mordor Intelligence). Pakistan’s luggage and bags market stands at approximately $2.23 billion, with hard-shell luggage holding a significant share.
Luggage bags serve multiple travel purposes, including international air travel, where they’re practically mandatory, religious pilgrimages (annual Hajj and year-round Umrah), educational and labor migration, and business travel.
With international travelers plus domestic travel, multiplied by luggage replacement cycles and family purchases, the market potential is substantial.
Why Invest in Luggage Manufacturing Business?
Luggage bags, although often taken for granted, represent a prime business opportunity in Pakistan’s growing travel market. Here’s why investing in this industry makes strong business sense:
1. Mandatory Travel Requirement
Unlike discretionary products, luggage is essential for air travel. This creates consistent demand throughout the year. Complementing this is the pilgrimage season. Pakistan’s large Muslim population generates a predictable annual demand through Hajj and Umrah
2. Set Selling Advantage
Luggage is typically sold in sets of 2-3 sizes, which increases average order value 2-3 times, improves inventory movement across sizes, utilizes the same components efficiently, and reduces marketing cost per unit.
3. High Profit Margins
Luggage priced in thousands allows healthy margins. Strong branding can multiply profits. Generic sets selling for PKR 15,000-20,000 can command PKR 20,000-40,000+ with proper brand positioning.
4. Import Substitution
Most Pakistani luggage is imported from China. Local manufacturing offers better prices without import duties, products customized for local preferences, and reduced foreign exchange outflow.
5. Accessory Upselling
Wheels, locks, handles, and travel accessories create additional revenue through replacement parts sales, premium upgrades, complementary products, and B2B component supply to other manufacturers.
Machinery Required for Manufacturing
The core equipment includes two-platen injection molding machines for producing hard-shell components, offering larger mold openings and uniform pressure for quality production.
Customized molds are precision-engineered tools determining shell shape, texture, and features, with each size requiring separate molds.
Auxiliary equipment, such as material dryers, hoppers, temperature controllers, chillers, and air compressors ensure consistent operation.
Conveyor systems enable smooth material handling from raw materials to finished products. For larger operations, 3-axis robotic arms (optional) can automate part removal and stacking, reducing labor costs and increasing consistency.
How to Set Up Your Manufacturing Business
Start by conducting market research and business planning to identify your target segment, determine capacity, and calculate costs. Secure a facility with three-phase power, water, ventilation, and industrial zoning.
Procure machinery, molds, and auxiliary equipment from reliable suppliers, then source raw materials including plastic resins, wheels, locks, zippers, fabric, and packaging. Hire and train operators, technicians, quality control staff, and administrative personnel.
Install equipment, optimize production parameters, and establish quality standards. Finally, develop branding, marketing materials, distribution channels, and a launch strategy to bring your products to market.
How HiTech Machinery can Help in Luggage Bag Manufacturing
At HiTech Machinery, we provide complete turnkey solutions for luggage manufacturing, not just equipment sales. Our services include two-platen injection molding machines, customized molds for all standard sizes, complete auxiliary equipment, conveyor systems for workflow efficiency, and optional robotic automation.
Besides machines, we also offer technical support for setup and optimization, installation guidance, operator training covering operation and maintenance, after-sales service, local warranty, and spare parts availability, preventing production disruptions.
Unlike distant suppliers, HiTech’s local presence ensures your investment is protected, production quality meets expectations, and operations run smoothly from day one.
Seize This Opportunity
The business model is compelling: mandatory product demand, high margins, set-selling dynamics, accessory upselling, and scalable operations across multiple market segments.
If you want to turn travel demand into a profitable business, start your luggage manufacturing journey with HiTech Machinery today.