HONG KONG – Hong Kong recorded over 11.2 million visits in the first quarter of 2024, up 1.5 times compared to the same period last year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said on Tuesday.

The board said in a statement that the 11.23 million visitors recorded from January to March represented a 5 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2023, reflecting the continued and gradual growth of visitor arrivals.

Through the first quarter, the Chinese mainland remained the largest source of visitors to the SAR, with 8,699,981 mainland tourists visiting the city, up 159.1 percent from the same period last year

It added that that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region saw about 3.4 million visitor arrivals in March, or a 40 percent increase year-on-year.

Through the first quarter, the Chinese mainland remained the largest source of visitors to the SAR, with 8,699,981 mainland tourists visiting the city, up 159.1 percent from the same period last year.

The board also said that non-mainland visitors increased 139.3 percent to 2,528,817 during the first quarter.

The number of short-haul visitors rose 190.6 percent to 1,401,089 while long-haul visitors increased 168.5 percent to 700,088, the board added.

Dane Cheng, HKTB's executive director, said earlier that the board will tailor its promotional efforts to different source markets in 2024, aiming to significantly increase visitors' willingness to choose Hong Kong as their preferred travel destination.

The Hong Kong SAR received approximately 34 million visits in 2023, according to the HKTB.