Published on
March 11, 2026
Image generated with Ai
Hong Kong uses its creative energy for tourism growth because Hong Kong Design Centre shows support for the city’s 2026–27 Budget which funds cultural and creative industries that attract visitors. The new measures will enable Hong Kong Design Centre to establish Hong Kong as both a creative global hub and an essential travel destination which offers design-based neighborhoods and interactive exhibits and major worldwide events.
Budget support to power culture‑driven travel
The latest Budget commits to driving the growth of cultural and creative industries, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as an East‑meets‑West centre for international cultural exchange and creative business. HKDC noted that this policy direction complements its mission of leveraging design to create business value and social impact, which increasingly includes attracting international visitors and enhancing their stay through curated design experiences across the city.
Officials emphasised that integrating design, culture and tourism is central to Hong Kong’s wider development agenda and its closer collaboration with the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), opening up new cross‑border travel flows for culture‑seeking visitors. HKDC suggested that stronger connectivity with the GBA creative scene can translate into themed itineraries, cross‑city festivals and joint showcases that draw tourists to Hong Kong as a natural starting point for exploring design across the region.
DX design hub: Sham Shui Po’s new creative landmark for visitors
At the neighbourhood level, the DX design hub in Sham Shui Po has quickly emerged as a creative landmark that gives travellers a fresh reason to explore Kowloon beyond traditional shopping streets. Operated by HKDC, this five‑level hub nurtures emerging design talent and offers visitors immersive journeys through innovative exhibitions, fashion showcases and cultural experiences that make design feel tangible and interactive.
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Current and recent programmes, including exhibitions such as Luminous Neon and Design Pulse Asia, showcase Hong Kong’s design legacy and contemporary creativity, turning the building into a living gallery that rewards repeat visits. HKDC observed that by anchoring design‑led experiences in a historically textile‑rich district like Sham Shui Po, DX design hub invites both locals and tourists to wander the neighbourhood, discover smaller creative shops and cafes, and connect with the city’s design story at street level.
Flagship events drawing global visitors and MICE traffic
On a global stage, HKDC’s flagship event Business of Design Week (BODW) has long been a magnet for international designers, brand leaders and entrepreneurs, bringing thousands of overseas delegates to Hong Kong each year and boosting hotels, restaurants and venues. Recent editions have attracted strong numbers of foreign and local participants, underlining the city’s strength as a host for high‑value MICE tourism and its improving connectivity and entry arrangements.
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The city‑wide extension, BODW In the City, has also proven highly visitor‑friendly, with the 2025 programme drawing over 100,000 participants and more than 30 activities ranging from design‑themed trams and guided tours to exhibitions, talks and workshops that enliven multiple districts. HKDC reported that one highlight, a Ferrari art car collaboration, alone drew 11,000 visits, the vast majority from tourists, demonstrating the appetite for design‑focused experiences that are easy to enjoy between sightseeing and shopping.
Tourism value of major design programmes
Fashion and cross‑border design to enrich visitor experiences
Fashion Asia Hong Kong, another signature HKDC programme, blends conversations, runway‑style showcases and cultural exchange to promote the city as an Asian hub for fashion trade and creativity. HKDC highlighted that by strengthening ties between local, Mainland Chinese and international fashion communities, the initiative creates more showrooms, pop‑ups and events that travellers can build trips around, especially those interested in shopping and style‑led city breaks.
Looking ahead, HKDC’s DX GRAVITY: Design connects GBA project, developed with partners across the Greater Bay Area, aims to deepen cross‑sector creative and commercial synergies that can easily extend into tourism. With coordinated exhibitions, co‑branded experiences and design‑themed itineraries across multiple GBA cities, Hong Kong is expected to act as a gateway where international visitors begin their journey before branching out to other creative destinations in the region.
Nurturing talent and community to sustain design‑led tourism
Behind these visitor‑facing programmes, HKDC’s broader work in nurturing design and fashion entrepreneurs, running incubation schemes and promoting design thinking helps ensure that Hong Kong has a steady pipeline of creators able to contribute to the city’s tourism appeal. The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), formerly CreateHK, complements this by providing one‑stop support to arts, culture and creative sectors, focusing on talent development, start‑ups, market expansion and cross‑sector collaboration that can feed directly into new events and attractions.
HKDC’s leaders have shared that they see design as a way to improve everyday life for residents while also creating distinctive reasons for travellers to choose Hong Kong over rival destinations, from better‑designed public spaces to more engaging cultural venues. As CCIDA and HKDC continue to align with government policy, industry stakeholders and Greater Bay Area partners, the expectation is that visitors will find a city where design is not just on display in museums, but woven into tram rides, harbourfront strolls, hotel experiences and neighbourhood walks.
Looking Ahead
The city of Hong Kong shows its commitment to welcoming visitors through its new Budget and the Hong Kong Design Centre’s reaction to the Budget plans. The returning visitors who come during the next years will experience an expanded selection of design events which will include dynamic neighborhood spaces that connect to the Greater Bay Area. The new design events of the city will create opportunities for visitors to discover how creative work defines the city’s development.
