Restaurant business grows 10% on first 2 days of break as arrivals top 2018 peak

Mainland Chinese visitor arrivals in Hong Kong during the first two days of the National Day “golden week” surpassed the pre-pandemic total for the same period in 2018, as the tourism chief expressed confidence that the city would reach its annual target of 53.8 million visitors earlier than expected.

The city recorded 511,311 arrivals from the mainland on Thursday and Friday, according to Immigration Department figures, edging past the 508,578 recorded during the same period in 2018.

The first day of the holiday drew 277,304 mainland visitors, up from 247,626 on the opening day in 2018. The second day welcomed 234,007, compared with 260,952 that year.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said on Saturday that mainland arrivals on the first day had surpassed the pre-pandemic high, with many visitors also arriving early for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

“Visitor numbers over the Mid-Autumn Festival weekend rose 28 per cent, so if the golden week still posts a 5 per cent increase on top of that, it is actually quite a lot,” she said.

Asked whether the city would reach its 53.8 million visitor target ahead of schedule, Law said she was very confident despite the challenges posed by global conditions.

“The global conditions, particularly in Southeast Asia, do pose challenges, as short-haul travellers’ willingness to spend and to visit Hong Kong has been affected by high airfares overall,” she said.

The 53.8 million target, set by the government at the start of the year, represents an 8 per cent increase on the 49.89 million arrivals recorded in 2025.

Law said the authorities would also “go out more” to understand travellers’ preferences. She said she hoped to return to markets such as Southeast Asia to step up promotion once global conditions stabilised.

She added that events such as the Victoria Park Mid-Autumn lantern carnival, organised by the Tourism Board and the retail and catering sectors, had drawn a strong response and showcased the city’s East-meets-West appeal.