3rd October 2026 – (Hong Kong) On the second day of the National Day Golden Week, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk‑pui said mainland visitor arrivals on the first day were higher than both last year and the 2018 peak, calling the result “very encouraging”. She expressed confidence in achieving the full‑year target of 53.8 million arrivals, while cautioning that global conditions have pushed up airfares to Hong Kong and could dampen the willingness of short‑haul travellers from Southeast Asia to visit or spend.
The Immigration Department had earlier projected about 1.29 million mainland arrivals over the seven‑day period, an average daily increase of around five per cent year‑on‑year. Law noted that approximately 277,000 mainland visitors entered Hong Kong on day one, with many having already come for the Mid‑Autumn festivities. She added that if the external environment stabilises, authorities will step up promotion in key short‑haul markets to support demand.
Law highlighted a structural shift in spending patterns, saying the global trend has moved away from bulk purchases towards experience‑led travel. She pointed to strong public response to recent events such as the Mid‑Autumn Lantern Carnival at Victoria Park and said seasonal attractions like Halloween—relatively rare across Asia—underscore Hong Kong’s east‑meets‑west appeal and create timely reasons to visit. She also underlined growth in cultural and creative offerings, noting successful collaborations between shopping malls and designers or artists to produce collectibles that have resonated with visitors.
