The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is beefing up efforts to upgrade tourism hardware facilities, raise its carrying capacity and optimize tourism experience to make the city more competitive as a tourism destination.

This will enhance the SAR’s metropolitan charm that attracts global talents and provide residents with a better quality living and leisure space, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in his Sunday blog.

During the Chinese mainland’s Labor Day holiday, the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong has further increased. On May 1 and 2, up to 570,000 visitors entered the city, including nearly 490,000 from the mainland -- a significant year-on-year surge of 31 percent. On May 2 alone, there were 267,000 mainland visitors, setting a new single-day record for the number of mainland visitors entering the SAR since the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“To accommodate the growing number of tourists, we are expanding our hardware facilities while paying more attention to improving the travel experience of each visitor. This is the key in shaping the ‘Hong Kong brand’ in the tourism industry, and is the pathway to increasing tourist arrival number and business receipts simultaneously,” Chan said.

In the 2025-26 Budget, the SAR government proposed transforming the seafront and former pier land south of Hung Hom Station into a new waterfront landmark to create a novel integrated entertainment, dining and leisure experience.

The overall plan includes both outdoor stimulating entertainment facilities (such as aerial walkways, slides, zip lines,) on the upper floors of the building, and making full use of the yacht facilities and water leisure activities near the coastal area by combining with retail, catering and entertainment facilities on the shore.

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“We have just proposed a preliminary planning concept for the waterfront land south of Hung Hom Station, which aims to transform it into a new waterfront landmark from multiple aspects, including entertainment experience and pedestrian accessibility,” the finance chief said.

He said the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority is working to leverage the beautiful scenery of Victoria Harbour and the unique cultural and artistic integration advantages of the cultural district to launch more special activities that integrate art, culture, catering and entertainment.

For example, the authority introduced the internationally renowned "Tokyo Coffee Festival" which brought together boutique coffee brands from Hong Kong, the Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and Japan that combine coffee culture and creativity organically to bring a brand new experience to local residents and tourists. The event attracted more than 50,000 participants and drove the overall visitor flow to the West Kowloon Art Park to more than double year-on-year.

During this year’s Labor Day holidays, the four-day "Sip & Groove" event was held at the West Kowloon Cultural District Art Park, combining international fine wines, light jazz, bossa nova and street music performances, as well as cultural and pet-friendly facilities to create a "chill" seaside space for residents and travellers.

READ MORE: Mainland tourist surge 'to bolster HK consumer market' in May holiday

The SAR will continue to enhance the charm of its waterfronts to attract more visitors. Among them, the North Point "East Coast Boardwalk", which opened earlier this year, has won praise from citizens and tourists. For projects like the Boardwalk East Section, Hung Hom Urban Park (Phase II) and Sai Ying Pun Eastern Street North Recreational Area, they will be completed this year. This year, the administration will also add light snack and beverage stalls on the waterfronts of Central, Wan Chai, North Point and Tsim Sha Tsui, allowing visitors to have more convenient and comfortable leisure time while admiring the beautiful scenery of Victoria Harbour.

Hong Kong plans to optimize the waterfront area that is not limited to the two sides of Victoria Harbour.

“We are promoting the construction of the 60 kilometer-long 'Round-the-Island-Trail' that forms a unique tourist route by connecting many important landmarks, historical and cultural buildings, as well as beautiful beaches and country parks on Hong Kong Island,” Chan said.

"Visitors can walk through Hong Kong’s urban and rural areas, appreciate the past and present, and deeply experience the city’s rich cultural connotations and humanistic customs. So far, 80 percent of the trail sections has been connected, with the goal of connecting 90 percent by the end of 2027, and completing the rest by 2031," he said.