Rosanna Law pitches Hong Kong beyond transit tourism
Thestandard · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s tourism strategy is shifting from headline arrival numbers to the quality of visits, with Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui arguing that the city’s mix of business, nature and festivals can keep travelers in town longer and encourage them to return. She said Hong Kong received 40.7 million visitors in the first nine months of 2026, including 1.41 million mainland travelers during National Day Golden Week, as the government rolls out its first five-year tourism plan. That plan aims to lift tourism’s annual value added from HK$86.2 billion in 2024 to HK$126 billion by 2030, while increasing the share of overnight visitors from outside mainland China to 40 percent. Law also pointed to district-based food and film campaigns, alongside a year-round events calendar, as ways to spread tourism spending more widely across the city
Key Points
- Law said Hong Kong’s appeal lies in contrasts: business meetings, countryside hiking and nighttime festivals can all fit into a single day
- The city welcomed 40.7 million visitors in the first nine months of 2026, including 1.41 million mainland arrivals during National Day Golden Week
- The government wants tourism’s annual value added to rise from HK$86.2 billion in 2024 to HK$126 billion by 2030
- Officials also aim for visitors from outside mainland China to make up 40 percent of overnight tourists under the five-year plan
- Taste Hong Kong covers eateries in all 18 districts, while Hong Kong Good Take will map about 100 film locations
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong, the policy test is no longer simply whether people arrive, but whether tourism spending reaches more districts, businesses and workers. If the strategy succeeds, the city could rely less on stopover traffic and build a more resilient visitor economy around repeat travel, local experiences and year-round events