Hong Kong Expects 5% Surge in Golden Week Tourists, Says Rosanna Law

Rosanna Law expects 1.29 million tourist arrivals during Golden Week, representing a​ 5% increase compared to last year. She also struck an optimistic tone​ regarding tourism spending growth, noting that​ the food and beverage industry saw​ a 20% increase during last year's​ Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law. Rosanna Law FB photo.

As China's Golden Week holiday draws near, Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law, shared insights into the city's strategies to diversify its tourism products and elevate visitor spending on Bloomberg’s The China Show yesterday.

Lantern display in Victoria Park. Image by ISD

Rosanna revealed that various events, including a fireworks display tonight, are lined up to boost the city's​ festive mood. “Many retailers are offering big promotions. Lantern displays will continue, and we will have Halloween festivities​ throughout the month,” she added. “At the end of October, we will have the Wine and Dine Festival. It is going to be a very busy season.”

Rosanna said the goal for Hong Kong tourism is to attract both the Mainland and the global tourists. She revealed that local carrier, Cathay Pacific, is expanding the flight coverage by planning another batch of new flights next year, which will expand the network to about 150 destinations.

Tourists. Photo by Bastille Post

As for hotel capacity, she noted that the city has 90% or higher expected occupancy during the Golden Week during the coming Golden Week. She stated the situation of Hong Kong hotel industry is steady and healthy. “We are not oversupplied, but we also have flexibility to manage demand​ during the peak season,” she said.

The Secretary also shared her hope for tourism development in the Northern Metropolis. She anticipates the development of new tourism facilities and the hosting of sports and cultural events​ in the area in the future. “So correspondingly, hotels will be on the drawing board as well,” she added.

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.