Hong Kong logged 1.7 million of inbound visitor trips during the 10-day Christmas and New Year’s holidays, with official immigration data showing a 15 percent year-on-year increase in the daily average.

Experts from tourism and related industries said the synergy created by the city’s various holiday offerings, including grand events and restaurant discounts, have successfully boosted the number of visitors and customer spending.

Chinese-mainland visitors’ average daily number of inbound trips reached 125,428, marking a 17.7 percent increase from the previous year, while daily average trips by visitors from other countries and regions rose by 8.4 percent, to 44,826.

This season’s year-end holidays spanned 10 days, from Dec 24-28 and from Dec 31 to Sunday in official Hong Kong statistics, while the Christmas and New Year’s holidays the year before lasted for 12 days, from Dec 21 until Jan 1. While Friday was not an official Hong Kong holiday, many residents took Friday off to get a four-day weekend.

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The city recorded 11.4 million entry and exit trips during the two holidays, with 5.99 million recorded over the Christmas holiday period — Dec 24-28 — and over 5.4 million were logged from Dec 31 through Sunday — the Hong Kong New Year’s holiday — at the city’s land, sea, and air control points. The number of inbound and outbound travelers was generally in line with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s forecast before the holiday.

Notably, 510,655 entry trips were made by mainland tourists during the mainland’s three-day New Year’s holiday, which was Jan 1 to Saturday. Compared with the mainland’s New Year holiday period in 2024, which also spanned three days, the number has seen an increase of 77,000, or nearly 18 percent. Most visits were recorded on the New Year’s Day, with 215,332 entries.

The daily average of outbound trips made by Hong Kong residents increased to 387,735, 5.5 percent up compared with the figure of 2024., with mainland cities being popular destinations.

On Dec 27, the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station recorded nearly 140,000 passenger trips, a new single-day ridership record.

From the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, passengers can now travel directly to 96 stations across the nation, with a frequency of at least 208 train trips daily.

Since the high-speed railway service began in Hong Kong in 2018, the West Kowloon Station has handled over 100 million passenger trips, according to MTR Corp.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan wrote in her blog on Saturday that the expanded Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles program, which allows eligible private cars from Guangdong province to drive into Hong Kong’s urban roads via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge with advance booking, has received nearly 2,000 applications since its implementation on Dec 23. Chan said she believes that the convenience of cross-border transportation will bring more visitors and further advance the city’s integration with the country.

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Anthea Cheung So-may, director of the Lan Kwai Fong Association, told China Daily that during the holiday, Lan Kwai Fong — the city’s renowned nightlife hotspot — saw a clear increase in both visitor numbers and spending compared to last year.

She said the overall business showed at least a 10 percent increase over last year, adding that a restaurant operator noted a 15 to 20 percent year-on-year growth in business on New Year’s Eve.

Overall, the synergistic effect of major events was significant, Cheung said, adding that the business communities had proactively launched various promotions to attract customers, such as “buy one, get one free” drinks, 15 percent off at restaurants, and prize draws, all of which effectively stimulated spending.

The robust demand led some businesses to extend their operating hours on New Year’s Eve until 6 to 8 am on New Year’s Day, Cheung said.

She suggested that the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong Tourism Board can consolidate resources and roll out comprehensive tourism packages combining major concerts, sporting events, dining, and hotel stays.

Hong Kong’s hosting of various events and activities contributed to the influx of holidaymakers, said Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association.

He said that attracting millions of visits within just a few days is a remarkable achievement. “For some Asian countries or regions, the figure may represent the count of the entire year,” Chui told China Daily.

The increase in daily average inbound visitor trips also demonstrates Hong Kong’s competitiveness as a holiday destination for both mainland and overseas travelers. Chui attributed this success in part to convenient transportation networks, including the high-speed railway, which acts as a key driver for tourism.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com