Hong Kong welcomed a record 950,000 tourists from Macao, Taiwan and overseas in October -- a new monthly record for this year – as the city pushed ahead with more events to attract travelers, along with a major multipurpose sports facility due to open in the first quarter of 2025.

The trend is expected to be fueled, with a pop-up museum for football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo due to be ready in the special administrative region next year.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung told the Legislative Council on Tuesday the total number of visitors to the SAR last month had surpassed four million, with the number of overseas tourists steadily rising to almost one million.

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The cumulative visitor count for the first 10 months of this year reached 36.6 million – up 37 percent from the same period in 2023.

Yeung said Hong Kong will continue to organize events based on the preferences of visitors, as well as residents, to ensure a diverse array of appealing attractions.

According to local media reports, Portuguese football star Ronaldo is expected to Hong Kong next year for the grand opening of his pop-up museum.

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Yeung said efforts are being made to actively promote the museum’s development, facilitating coordination, encouraging curatorial efforts, and resolving relevant issues, with a potential opening next year.

The museum is expected to be ready from June 2025 to May 2026, showcasing some of the awards Ronaldo had won in his career. Official ticket will probably go on sale from next month.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong China Rugby – the governing body of the local rugby union -- announced that the 2025 Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament will be held at Kai Tak Sports Park from March 28 to 30 next year after the facility goes into operation in the first quarter of 2025.

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Ticket sales for the tournament have started, and the event would be a key opening activity at the park, the union said, adding that the main venue is tailored to meeting the needs of rugby. There will be changing rooms for up to 20 teams, along with one of the largest sports bars in Asia to attract rugby fans.

The three-day 2024 Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament drew more than 100,000 spectators, with about 40 percent of them being overseas tourists. All the 40,000 tickets were snapped up, while bars on Hong Kong Island saw a 50-percent increase in business.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com