Hong Kong remains a top countdown city as 200,000 visit on New Year’s Eve: minister
Tourism sector representatives underscore need to direct visitors from tourist hotspots to other parts of city
Visitor numbers on New Year’s Eve have shown that Hong Kong remains an attractive destination for countdowns, according to the tourism minister, with sector representatives underscoring the need to direct travellers to different parts of the city.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said on Saturday that close to 200,000 visitors arrived in Hong Kong on December 31 alone, contributing to a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in tourist figures between Christmas and the end of the year.
Hong Kong recorded 1.24 million visitors between December 24 and 31 last year, up from 1.11 million visitors in the same period in 2024, according to Immigration Department data.
The New Year’s Eve arrivals included 150,000 from mainland China and 48,000 from overseas, Law said, adding that the strong turnout reflected that Hong Kong remained a top draw for countdown events.
“Since everyone enjoys the festive atmosphere in Central so much, we can continue to do more in future festivals, especially Christmas and New Year’s,” she said, pledging to step up the bureau’s efforts next year.
The annual countdown fireworks were called off this year out of respect for victims of the deadly fire in November, which tore through seven residential buildings at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, killing at least 161 people and displacing nearly 5,000 residents.