Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District Authority has revealed that its Christmas–New-Year programme welcomed more than 1.28 million visitor-trips, a 70 percent increase on the same period a year ago. Flagship attractions included the Hong Kong Palace Museum’s “Treasures of Egypt” exhibition, which alone pulled 140 000 guests in its first six weeks, and the waterfront district’s inaugural New-Year’s Eve countdown concert, which sold out its 26 000-seat capacity despite cool weather and the suspension of harbour fireworks.
Behind the crowd-pleasing headlines lies a story of sharply rebounding cross-border mobility. Immigration Department figures show 195 000 arrivals on 31 December, 75 percent of them from mainland China. Hoteliers in West Kowloon report 92 percent occupancy and average corporate room rates 8–10 percent higher than January 2025, suggesting that genuine inbound demand—rather than local staycations—is driving the uptick.
For companies trying to keep pace with this surge, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers a convenient one-stop dashboard to verify entry requirements, prepare e-visa filings and track applications for staff, performers and VIP guests, helping mobility teams prevent last-minute border delays.
![West Kowloon Holiday Calendar Draws 1.28 Million Visits, Signals Hong Kong Tourism Bounce-back]()
For global-mobility managers the numbers matter. Many multinationals use Hong Kong as a springboard for China and wider Asia. A vibrant events calendar makes the city a more attractive posting for senior staff, while the return of leisure visitors supports hotel inventory essential for project teams, auditors and technical crews. Property consultancies estimate that inbound performers and technicians spent HK$28 million on serviced apartments in December alone.
To keep foot traffic moving, the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed rail has installed a temporary e-Channel zone that allows accredited performance crews to complete immigration formalities before leaving the platform. The measure shaves up to 40 minutes off door-to-door transfer times and will remain in place through Lunar New Year. Talks are also under way with Cathay Pacific and the Hong Kong Tourism Board to bundle event tickets with same-day return flights from Taipei and Manila—an early sign that “bleisure” packaging is back on the agenda.
Looking ahead, the district plans to stage more large-scale cultural happenings, including an Art-Tech Week in late March that will coincide with Art Basel. Mobility teams should expect a further spike in premium-class flight demand and may wish to lock in hotel allocations early, particularly for assignees travelling with families.
Behind the crowd-pleasing headlines lies a story of sharply rebounding cross-border mobility. Immigration Department figures show 195 000 arrivals on 31 December, 75 percent of them from mainland China. Hoteliers in West Kowloon report 92 percent occupancy and average corporate room rates 8–10 percent higher than January 2025, suggesting that genuine inbound demand—rather than local staycations—is driving the uptick.
For companies trying to keep pace with this surge, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers a convenient one-stop dashboard to verify entry requirements, prepare e-visa filings and track applications for staff, performers and VIP guests, helping mobility teams prevent last-minute border delays.
For global-mobility managers the numbers matter. Many multinationals use Hong Kong as a springboard for China and wider Asia. A vibrant events calendar makes the city a more attractive posting for senior staff, while the return of leisure visitors supports hotel inventory essential for project teams, auditors and technical crews. Property consultancies estimate that inbound performers and technicians spent HK$28 million on serviced apartments in December alone.
To keep foot traffic moving, the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed rail has installed a temporary e-Channel zone that allows accredited performance crews to complete immigration formalities before leaving the platform. The measure shaves up to 40 minutes off door-to-door transfer times and will remain in place through Lunar New Year. Talks are also under way with Cathay Pacific and the Hong Kong Tourism Board to bundle event tickets with same-day return flights from Taipei and Manila—an early sign that “bleisure” packaging is back on the agenda.
Looking ahead, the district plans to stage more large-scale cultural happenings, including an Art-Tech Week in late March that will coincide with Art Basel. Mobility teams should expect a further spike in premium-class flight demand and may wish to lock in hotel allocations early, particularly for assignees travelling with families.
