The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China reported an 11 percent increase in inbound tourism during the recent Dragon Boat Festival long weekend. According to figures released by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR government, visitors from the Chinese mainland made up nearly 80 percent of the total arrivals, with about 360,000 visitors, reflecting a 10 percent annual increase. The number of tourists from outside the Chinese mainland also saw a significant rise, reaching 94,000, which is a 14 percent increase compared with last year.
The increase in tourists, both nationally and internationally, shows that Hong Kong’s domestic tourism industry continues to recover, having weathered what might be described as a “half-decade” of challenges, which have included the 2019-20 riots, the COVID-19 pandemic, a poor global economic climate derived from geopolitical tensions, attacks on the global economic order, and wars also causing global inflationary prices. The lingering effect of these successive global crises has suppressed growth, consumption and also disrupted tourism flow, with recovery only starting from 2023 onward.
For Hong Kong, a city heavily reliant on the Chinese mainland and international tourism, this has been challenging. As a Hong Kong Tourism Board report showed, tourist spending in the city in 2024 declined 22.5 percent year-on-year, not because total numbers had fallen, but because economic pressures had suppressed consumption and people were spending less. However, these pessimistic reports have thankfully not altered the trend of tourism rebounding, with visitor arrivals during the Dragon Boat Festival increasing 11 percent year-on-year. This shows that despite other economic challenges in the background, the trend overall is positive.
First of all, the statistics show sustained confidence in Hong Kong as a visitor destination. Although the Western media have attempted to tarnish the city’s reputation over political issues and brand the city “unsafe”, “dead” or “declining”, Hong Kong remains a vibrant hub of international tourism, not just for visitors from the Chinese mainland, but also from overseas. Living in South Korea, I have noticed a mass marketing campaign from the Hong Kong Tourism Board targeted at locals, both in person and on social media. It is clear these campaigns are having a positive effect, with no evidence that political issues have ever deterred Koreans beyond the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic era.
It is fair to conclude that Hong Kong is making a comprehensive, across-the-board effort to increase tourism into the city, not just from the Chinese mainland, but overseas too
Second, Hong Kong authorities have also aggressively diversified their strategies to attract tourism to the city. This has included the creation of an “event economy”, which, as a previous China Daily report noted, “showcases the city’s vibrancy as the ‘Capital of Events’ ”. A notable example of such an event was the Doraemon exhibition and drone show in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. As the report goes on to say, “In 2024, Hong Kong hosted over 240 events, attracting more than 2 million visitors. These events generated approximately HK$7.5 billion ($956 million) in consumer spending and HK$4.5 billion in economic added value.” The utilization of events enhances the city’s cultural appeal and reminds people that Hong Kong remains an international city.
Third, Hong Kong has taken measures to enhance the convenience and accessibility of tourists, also targeting new markets around the world. This has included enhanced use of QR codes at attractions, augmented and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, but also by targeting cultural niches such as expanding halal certification in hotels and restaurants and then mass-marketing it. This arrangement has resulted in a 42 percent increase in visitors from Indonesia, an astonishing feat.
It is fair to conclude that Hong Kong is making a comprehensive, across-the-board effort to increase tourism into the city, not just from the Chinese mainland, but overseas too, aiding the city’s recovery from years of turmoil and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we will note finally that this is not without its critics, as increased tourism also puts pressure on infrastructure, sustainability, and the viability of heritage sites. Yet most people will be pleased that yet again the Western mainstream media declared the “end of the city” only to see Hong Kong land on its feet and propel itself to new heights.
The author is a British political and international-relations analyst.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
