Hong Kong rang in 2026 with a street-party countdown in Central instead of its traditional harbour fireworks, capping a year in which visitor arrivals rebounded to 50 million – up 12 percent year-on-year – and non-mainland arrivals grew even faster at 15 percent. The Hong Kong Tourism Board credits the opening of Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) in March 2025 for much of the momentum: the 50 000-seat stadium and adjacent 10 000-seat arena hosted more than 90 event days and drew seven million spectators in nine months.
Festive-season data illustrate the impact. From 25–27 December, non-mainland visitors averaged 50 000 per day, about one-third of all arrivals. Hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui hit 94 percent occupancy and average daily rates surpassed HKD 2 100, according to preliminary STR figures. The surge prompted the Immigration Department to run 100 percent of e-Channel kiosks at Lo Wu and West Kowloon during peak hours, and to pilot queue-prediction dashboards for coach operators at Shenzhen Bay.
![Tourism board hails ‘mega-events bounce’ as Hong Kong closes out record festive season]()
For those visitors needing travel-document support, VisaHQ’s dedicated Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) can expedite visa applications, passport renewals and document legalisations for more than 200 destinations—ideal for corporate mobility teams or last-minute leisure travellers keen to catch a newly announced concert or conference.
Corporate mobility teams see practical upside: globally mobile staff can now combine client meetings with high-profile concerts or sports fixtures, boosting the city’s attractiveness for regional conferences. Yet the success also raises concerns about capacity: MICE organisers report that prime-weekend venue slots in 2026 are already 70 percent booked.
The Tourism Board plans a second-phase ‘Events Booster’ fund, offering subventions for conferences that schedule around KTSP headline acts and for travel agencies bundling cross-boundary packages via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Businesses should monitor the scheme closely; subsidies could shave thousands off group-movement budgets.
Festive-season data illustrate the impact. From 25–27 December, non-mainland visitors averaged 50 000 per day, about one-third of all arrivals. Hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui hit 94 percent occupancy and average daily rates surpassed HKD 2 100, according to preliminary STR figures. The surge prompted the Immigration Department to run 100 percent of e-Channel kiosks at Lo Wu and West Kowloon during peak hours, and to pilot queue-prediction dashboards for coach operators at Shenzhen Bay.
For those visitors needing travel-document support, VisaHQ’s dedicated Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) can expedite visa applications, passport renewals and document legalisations for more than 200 destinations—ideal for corporate mobility teams or last-minute leisure travellers keen to catch a newly announced concert or conference.
Corporate mobility teams see practical upside: globally mobile staff can now combine client meetings with high-profile concerts or sports fixtures, boosting the city’s attractiveness for regional conferences. Yet the success also raises concerns about capacity: MICE organisers report that prime-weekend venue slots in 2026 are already 70 percent booked.
The Tourism Board plans a second-phase ‘Events Booster’ fund, offering subventions for conferences that schedule around KTSP headline acts and for travel agencies bundling cross-boundary packages via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Businesses should monitor the scheme closely; subsidies could shave thousands off group-movement budgets.
