Hong Kong recorded 1.5 million inbound trips by Chinese mainland travelers during the nine-day Chinese New Year holiday, representing an increase of 14 percent over the same period last year, the special administrative region government said on Tuesday.
Non-mainland visitor arrivals also grew 14 percent year-on-year, reaching 270,000, according to the Immigration Department.
This year, the mainland’s Chinese New Year holiday was from Feb 15-23, a day longer than that of the previous year, which was from Jan 28 to Feb 4.
The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki, said the daily average number of mainland tourist arrivals was 170,000, and the busiest checkpoint for mainland travelers was West Kowloon Station, followed by Lok Ma Chau Spur Line control point.
Around 2,400 mainland tour groups — a 9 percent increase compared to the golden week in 2025 — brought nearly 84,000 visitors to Hong Kong. Around 74 percent of group visitors engaged in overnight itineraries, official data show.
Chan said the varied activities and celebrations during the holiday stimulated consumption, and provided opportunities to industries such as retail, catering and tourism.
The authorities reported an overall hotel occupancy rate of 90 percent during the holiday.
The Chinese New Year Fireworks Display over Victoria Harbour on the second day of the Chinese New Year attracted over 360,000 residents and visitors, while the race day on the third day of the Chinese New Year attracted over 20,000 visitors to experience the SAR’s unique horse racing tourism.
Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said he believes that the tourism industry performed satisfactorily — reflected in the growth of tourist numbers and in the positive feedback from visitors regarding their travel experiences.
Chui told China Daily that the hotel industry experienced an ideal occupancy rate during the holiday. From the second to the fourth day of the Chinese New Year, several hotels were fully booked, he added.
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According to New World Development Co Ltd, footfall at its K11 MUSEA mall increased 10 percent year-on-year from Feb 16-22, the highest growth in its history. The mall recorded 60 percent year-on-year growth in tourist sales, including the largest single purchase of over HK$2 million ($255,675) during this period.
Watches and jewellery, and international luxury brands delivered the strongest performances, posting year-on-year increases of 140 percent and 40 percent respectively, the group noted.
Peter Shiu Ka-fai, who represents the retail sector in the Legislative Council, said retail data has shown an upward trend, and cosmetics sector staff reported high sales growth. In addition to mainland visitors, Hong Kong welcomed a significant number of overseas tourists during the holiday, Shiu added.
Data from the Macao Government Tourism Office indicated that over 1.55 million tourist trips were made during the nine-day holiday. The daily average of mainland arrivals was 172,000, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.5 percent.
The number of single-day visitor arrivals on Feb 19 reached a record 227,000.
