Hong Kong logged 5.15 million visitor arrivals in August, representing a 16 percent year-on-year surge and breaking the single-month record in the post-COVID-19 era, according to preliminary figures from the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).

The cumulative figure of inbound tourist trips from January to August surpassed 33 million — 25.53 million from the Chinese mainland and 7.65 million from other places — a 12 percent year-on-year increase, the HKTB said.

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Among August’s arrivals, Chinese mainland travelers numbered 4.22 million, a growth of 15 percent compared to the same period last year, and accounting for 82 percent of the total. Non-mainland visitor arrivals also grew by 17 percent last month, reaching around 930,000.

Highlighting a healthy influx of overseas tourists over the first eight months of this year, HKTB said the city saw 18 percent growth in arrivals from short-haul markets, with Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan performing especially well.

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Long-haul visitors showed a healthy 19-percent increase, led by Australia.

Early this month, Secretary for Cultural, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said she was confident that Hong Kong would achieve the goal of receiving 49 million visitor trips this year, a 10-percent increase compared to 2024.

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com