Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District Authority reported on 11 January that its Christmas-and-New-Year programme drew more than 1.28 million visits—up 70 % year-on-year and a striking marker of the city’s tourism revival. Flagship attractions included the Hong Kong Palace Museum’s ‘Treasures of Egypt’ exhibition, which logged 140 000 guests in six weeks, and a waterfront countdown concert that sold out its 26 000 seats despite chilly weather and the suspension of traditional harbour fireworks.
Immigration Department data underline the bounce-back: 195 000 arrivals were recorded on 31 December alone, three-quarters of them from mainland China. Land checkpoints handled the bulk, thanks to 300 new e-Channel lanes activated in late 2025 and extended operating hours at Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay. Industry analysts say the figures put Hong Kong on track to reclaim pre-pandemic visitor volumes by Golden Week in May.
Whether you’re a leisure tourist keen to catch the next blockbuster exhibition or a mobility manager orchestrating staff rotations, VisaHQ can fast-track the necessary travel documents. Its dedicated Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) consolidates up-to-date visa requirements, digitises applications, and arranges courier pickups, trimming paperwork so visitors can focus on their itinerary instead of immigration queues.
![1.28 million visitors flock to West Kowloon holiday events as cross-border traffic roars back]()
The tourism surge is already filtering into mobility-dependent sectors. Conference venues around Tsim Sha Tsui report corporate bookings up 40 % for Q2, while serviced-apartment operators have shortened lead times for expatriate leases from eight weeks to four. Retailers remain cautious, noting that the latest influx skews towards day-trippers rather than high-spend overnight tourists, but hoteliers say average room rates have climbed 7 % since December.
Policy-makers credit streamlined clearance technology for the smoother flows: the Contactless e-Channel system, which lets visitors complete immigration with a QR code and face scan, now covers every control point. Officials plan to drop the eligible age for Smart Departure lanes from 11 to seven before Easter, further widening capacity.
For global-mobility teams, the numbers provide a green light to resume rotational assignments paused since 2020. Travel-management companies, however, warn that airline seat supply is still 10 % below 2019 levels, meaning early booking is essential for peak-season travel between Hong Kong and mainland hubs.
Immigration Department data underline the bounce-back: 195 000 arrivals were recorded on 31 December alone, three-quarters of them from mainland China. Land checkpoints handled the bulk, thanks to 300 new e-Channel lanes activated in late 2025 and extended operating hours at Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay. Industry analysts say the figures put Hong Kong on track to reclaim pre-pandemic visitor volumes by Golden Week in May.
Whether you’re a leisure tourist keen to catch the next blockbuster exhibition or a mobility manager orchestrating staff rotations, VisaHQ can fast-track the necessary travel documents. Its dedicated Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) consolidates up-to-date visa requirements, digitises applications, and arranges courier pickups, trimming paperwork so visitors can focus on their itinerary instead of immigration queues.
The tourism surge is already filtering into mobility-dependent sectors. Conference venues around Tsim Sha Tsui report corporate bookings up 40 % for Q2, while serviced-apartment operators have shortened lead times for expatriate leases from eight weeks to four. Retailers remain cautious, noting that the latest influx skews towards day-trippers rather than high-spend overnight tourists, but hoteliers say average room rates have climbed 7 % since December.
Policy-makers credit streamlined clearance technology for the smoother flows: the Contactless e-Channel system, which lets visitors complete immigration with a QR code and face scan, now covers every control point. Officials plan to drop the eligible age for Smart Departure lanes from 11 to seven before Easter, further widening capacity.
For global-mobility teams, the numbers provide a green light to resume rotational assignments paused since 2020. Travel-management companies, however, warn that airline seat supply is still 10 % below 2019 levels, meaning early booking is essential for peak-season travel between Hong Kong and mainland hubs.
