Luo Shupei: The Tourism Board will continue to hold flagship events this year themed around festivals, food, and sports, with a focus on promoting Muslim tourism

The Director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Luo Shupei, stated on Tuesday (27th) regarding tourism policies that, with the efforts of various tourism industry colleagues, the tourism sector performed excellently last year, recording a total of 49.9 million visitors to Hong Kong, a figure higher than the initial expectation of 49 million and an increase of 12% compared to the 44.5 million visitors expected for the entire year of 2024. In the coming year, Hong Kong will have a series of cultural projects and sports events, which will definitely allow travelers to experience the unique charm of Hong Kong as a city of events.

Luo Shupei mentioned that several measures from the central government to benefit Hong Kong, including optimizing the "Individual Visit" scheme, restoring and expanding the "one permit, multiple entries" for Shenzhen, and the latest addition of four ports connecting Hong Kong for foreigners to enjoy "240-hour visa-free transit" into mainland ports, have injected significant momentum into Hong Kong's tourism industry. The total number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong reached approximately 37.8 million, an increase of about 11% compared to the same period in 2024.

The year-on-year growth rate for non-mainland visitors was even higher, reaching 15%, with approximately 12.1 million visitors. Among them, the growth from Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and the Middle East was particularly strong, with increases of 25% or more. Short-haul markets such as the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and India have returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

Luo Shupei stated that last year, multiple international cultural and sports events were provided for travelers and citizens, including the Hong Kong International Sevens, LIV Golf Hong Kong, Art Basel, the Hong Kong Football Festival 2025, the National Games (15th National Games), and the Special Olympics (12th National Games and 9th Special Olympics), as well as concerts by foreign groups and local stars. During the 15th National Games (from November 9 to 21, 2025), over 1.7 million visitors to Hong Kong were recorded.

This year, Luo Shupei indicated that the Hong Kong Tourism Board will continue to host flagship events themed around festivals, food, and sports, including the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Invitation, Hong Kong Bicycle Festival, Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, Hong Kong Colorful Winter Festival, Hong Kong New Year's Countdown, and the Lunar New Year International Gala Night. This Lunar New Year, the Tourism Board will enhance its promotion of a series of exciting activities for travelers, including the Lunar New Year International Gala Night parade on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the festive fireworks display on the second day, the Horse Racing Day on the third day, and the Lunar New Year Cup on the fifth day.

In addition, film elements are also a characteristic of Hong Kong. The "Kowloon Walled City Light and Shadow Tour" movie scene exhibition has been open to the public since last year, attracting over 274,000 visitors to date. An exhibition titled "Yau Ma Tei Police Station Light and Shadow Tour," themed around Hong Kong police and gangster films, will be launched on January 1 this year at the old Yau Ma Tei Police Station and is also very popular.

Regarding industrial tourism, she mentioned that efforts are actively being made to promote tourism products related to "Made in Hong Kong" industrial elements. The first phase includes three industrial brand tourism products located in the Tai Po Innovation Park, including Lee Kum Kee, Kee Wah, and Yakult, which were launched last year. Discussions are currently underway with other industrial brands for the next phase of projects. In addition to developing more distinctive tourism products, there is also an active effort to explore diversified source markets, especially for high-value travelers Luo Shupei stated that the focus is on promoting Muslim tourism and developing the Middle East and ASEAN markets. Last year, she visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia and led the tourism industry to participate in the annual large-scale Arabian Travel Market exhibition to promote cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation. In the 2025 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), Hong Kong ranked third among Muslim-friendly travel destinations (non-OIC), making it into the top three for the first time, and was also selected as the most promising Muslim-friendly travel destination, fully affirming Hong Kong's achievements in promoting "Muslim-friendly" tourism. Efforts in this area will continue to be strengthened in the future.

In terms of cruise tourism, Hong Kong's cruise tourism development remains strong, with 189 cruise visits last year, an increase of 26% year-on-year, and growth is expected to continue this year. The Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism publicly tendered the lease for the operation and management of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal last December, aiming to select a bidder within this year. The next cruise terminal lease will integrate the current management arrangements of the terminal and introduce key performance indicators (KPIs) for the terminal operator's work to enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.

Regarding yacht tourism, she mentioned that in addition to increasing berths, the Development Bureau, Transport and Logistics Bureau, and Security Bureau will optimize the supporting facilities for the yacht industry, including the entry process for visiting yachts. The Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism will fully cooperate and continue to support the development and cooperation of yacht tourism in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promoting high-end yacht tourism. Smart tourism will be continuously enhanced by the Hong Kong Tourism Board through tourism data and market analysis, and it is also developing a "real-time travel map" to recommend nearby attractions, activities, and discounts to travelers in real-time, expected to be launched in the first half of this year; on the other hand, it is actively developing "artificial intelligence itinerary planning."