Speaking on Commercial Radio on 4 April, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law projected that visitor arrivals to Hong Kong could hit 53.8 million this year—an 8 percent rise over 2025—if current momentum holds. The city welcomed 14.31 million visitors in the first quarter, up 17 percent year-on-year, with non-mainland arrivals edging up to 27 percent of the total. Law said Hong Kong’s diversified event calendar—from this month’s 50th-anniversary Hong Kong Sevens to Art Basel and ComplexCon—was drawing high-spending travellers from Europe, the US and the Middle East, offsetting concerns about geopolitics and rising fuel surcharges.

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Hotel occupancy for the upcoming Labour Day “Golden Week” is already forecast at 70–80 percent, with luxury segments above 90 percent. To lengthen stays, authorities plan to roll out more marketing in Tier-2 mainland cities and promote green-tourism add-ons such as island hiking and Michelin dining. A task force will review cross-boundary transport capacity weekly, aiming to smooth flows at the high-speed-rail terminus and Hong Kong International Airport. For corporates, the rebound means tighter hotel inventory around flagship events and greater pressure to book early. Mobility managers are also advised to monitor fare volatility as carriers wrestle with higher fuel costs yet ramp up capacity to the SAR. The upbeat forecast reinforces Hong Kong’s strategy of leveraging a safe, open environment to position itself as the region’s premier event and transit hub, complementing mainland China’s broader push to attract inbound spending.