Cathay Pacific kicks off 80th-anniversary celebrations with heritage A350 livery and year-long passenger perks
West Kowloon holiday events draw 1.28 million visits, signalling robust tourism rebound
Severe European snowstorm forces Hongkong Post to warn of delays to the Netherlands
Latest News
Hongkong Post restores full postal service to Belgium after protest-related disruption
Hongkong Post has lifted all suspensions on mail to Belgium after strikes in Brussels ended, eliminating the three-to-five-day delays that had hit legal, banking and small-parcel shipments. Exporters and global-mobility practitioners can revert to normal Speedpost channels but should allow a short transition buffer while Belgian sorting centres stabilise.
Holiday border rush pushes Hong Kong to 3.2 million crossings—85 % of pre-Covid level
Hong Kong processed 3.2 million inbound and outbound movements from 1–3 January 2026—about 85 % of the 2019 New-Year holiday level. Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau handled most of the flows, aided by 24-hour e-Channels, extra trains and roving crowd-control teams. The resurgence boosts retail, hospitality and logistics but exposes capacity strains that authorities aim to tackle before Lunar New Year.
950 000 visitors flood Hong Kong over New-Year weekend as checkpoints extend hours
Hong Kong welcomed 950 000 visitors between 31 December 2025 and 4 January 2026, led by a 48 % jump in mainland Chinese arrivals. Authorities extended checkpoint hours, opened extra e-Channel lanes and used AI crowd-control tools to keep clearance times manageable, offering a positive signal for the city’s tourism-led recovery.
Overnight queues end: Hong Kong shifts ‘test-free’ driving-licence tickets fully online
Starting 12 January 2026, foreign licence-holders must book same-day queue tickets online—no more lining up at dawn—to swap their home licence for a Hong Kong permit. The switch aims to stop scalping and cope with soaring demand from new expatriates.
Hong Kong wins bid to host 94th INTERPOL General Assembly, expects 1 500 delegates
The hand-over of the INTERPOL flag in Morocco confirms Hong Kong as host of the 94th General Assembly in 2026. The event will attract around 1 500 law-enforcement delegates, prompting the government to prepare fast-track e-Channel lanes and special customs licences—logistics that global mobility teams need to note well in advance.
Asia’s departure-tax trend grows: Japan to follow Hong Kong and others with July 2026 hike
Japan will triple its exit tax in July 2026, aligning with levies already charged by Hong Kong and several Asian neighbours. The widening tax net raises costs for regional itineraries and spotlights Hong Kong’s own HK$120 departure tax, although the city says no increase is planned.