The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region recorded a total of more than 14 million visitors in the first quarter of 2026, up 17 percent year-on-year, as it held a series of mega events that drew in more tourists from the Chinese mainland and abroad, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said Wednesday.

The HKTB said in a statement that the city saw 14.31 million visitors in the first three months of the year as it hosted world-class art and cultural events, including Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Central, and ComplexCon Hong Kong.  

The travelers included 11.08 million visitors from the mainland, up 20 percent from the same period last year, the HKTB said.

ALSO READ: HK sees visitor arrivals surge 18% YoY to nearly 10m in first two months

It said this was mainly due to the compounding effect of a string of mega events held in Hong Kong over the past few months, together with a series of promotional campaigns targeting the mainland’s extended Lunar New Year holiday.

In March, the city welcomed 4.35 million visitors, an increase of 14 percent year-on-year. They included 1.17 million visitors from abroad, up 9 percent from the same period in 2025.

READ MORE: HK: Mainland visitor arrivals rose 14% over Spring Festival holiday

“Hong Kong saw steady growth in air capacity in the first quarter and welcomed a number of international cruise liners, contributing to a 19 percent year-on-year increase in long-haul visitor arrivals, totaling 990,000 during the period,” the HKTB said.  

The board added that it will closely monitor the situation in the Middle East and flexibly deploy resources to maximize the effectiveness of the city’s tourism campaigns.