The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced that the provisional visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in August totalled 5.46 million, representing a 6% year-on-year increase and the highest monthly figure since the pandemic. A number of major international MICE and mega events were held in August, including “The 16th Worldwide Chinese Life Insurance Congress & 2026 IDA Annual Conference”, “Hong Kong Football Festival (HKFF) 2026”, and the “TMElive International Music Awards”, which attracted a diverse range of visitors and helped drive visitor arrivals from the Chinese Mainland, Singapore, the United Kingdom and other source markets.
TMElive International Music Awards, Photo source: reference image
In the first eight months of this year, a cumulative total of approximately 36.67 million visitor arrivals were recorded, an 11% increase over the same period in 2025. Among these, the Chinese Mainland and long-haul markets maintained stable overall performance. Visitor growth in short-haul markets continued to face challenges owing to factors such as flight capacity, fuel surcharges and regional competition.
Tourists in Hong Kong, Photo source: reference image
Looking ahead to the coming months, HKTB will step up its promotions of both Chinese and Western festivals, including hosting the "International Lantern Spectacular", followed by a Halloween promotional event, as well as expanding the scale of flagship mega events, such as “Hong Kong Cyclothon”, “Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival”, “Hong Kong WinterFest”, and “Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations”. HKTB will continue to join hands with partners across the tourism and business sectors to promote “Only in Hong Kong” tourism experiences, attracting more high-value added overnight visitors and driving the economy through tourism.
DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — A court on the Indonesian resort island of Bali sentenced a Swiss tourist on Thursday to one year in prison for insulting a sacred Balinese Hindu observance.
Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, was found guilty of violating Indonesia’s new criminal code by posting social media messages about the Day of Silence, when people are required to stay home and are urged to remain silent and meditate.
The Denpasar District Court determined that he posted the messages even after staff at the villa where he was staying informed him of the restrictions.
“What the defendant did offended the Balinese people, hurt their faith and provoked public outrage,” said presiding judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima. “The defendant must be held accountable for his actions.”
The Day of Silence, locally known as Nyepi, usually falls in March. For a day, the island's world-famous beaches and streets are empty of people except for special patrols meant to ensure silence is observed. The airport in Bali, a predominantly Hindu island in Muslim-majority Indonesia, shuts down and the internet is switched off. The restrictions apply to everyone regardless of religion or nationality.
Zgraggen boasted in Instagram posts that he had defied restrictions that prohibit residents and visitors from leaving their homes or accommodations except for emergencies.
In video clips shared online, Zgraggen smiled at the camera and described walking to a beach during the observance. In one, he called the tradition “crazy” and used an expletive.
The posts were widely reposted on social media, triggering condemnation from Balinese residents who considered them disrespectful. Authorities tracked him down following public complaints, and he was arrested at a villa in Legian, a popular tourist spot near Kuta Beach.
During his trial, which began in June, Zgraggen told the court he had never intended to insult the Hindu holiday or the Balinese people. He said he made the posts while hungry and frustrated that he could not obtain food during the shutdown. He said he had not fully understood the extent of the restrictions.
“I deeply regret what I did, I apologize to the Balinese people,” Zgraggen said in his defense plea.
While authorities have previously detained foreign and domestic tourists for venturing outside during Nyepi, those cases were generally resolved without prosecution.
Swiss tourist Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, back to camera, right, who is accused of insulting the Balinese Hinduism's sacred Day of Silence in social media posts sits on the defendant's chair with an interpreter during his sentencing hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (AP Photo)
Swiss tourist Luzian Andrin Zgraggen who is accused of insulting the Balinese Hinduism's sacred Day of Silence in social media posts covers his face upon arrival at the district court in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (AP Photo)
