Hong Kong welcomed 8.4 million visitors in the first two months of the year, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to the latest figures released by the Tourism Board published on Friday.

Provisional data highlighted that the growth in tourism was largely driven by non-mainland Chinese markets, which saw a significant surge of 20% in arrivals.

Meanwhile, the number of visitors coming from mainland China grew by 4% year-on-year.

This upward trend in international arrivals reflects Hong Kong's continued appeal as a destination for travellers from both nearby regions and further afield.

However, the number of visitors from mainland China reached 6.5 million, making up 77.2% of all arrivals during the first two months, which included the Lunar New Year holiday, South China Morning Post reports.

Among non-mainland markets, short-haul destinations saw the highest growth in visitor numbers, with a 26% increase, reaching 1.13 million arrivals in January and February.

Furthermore, tourist numbers from Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines and Indonesia, as well as Japan and South Korea, all saw an impressive year-on-year growth of over 30%.

Among long-haul markets, Australia experienced a notable increase, with a 34% rise in visitors.

In addition, last year, Hong Kong hosted 44.5 million visitors, falling short of previous forecasts and significantly below the record high of 65 million in 2018.

Since December, residents of neighbouring Shenzhen have been able to apply for a multiple-entry visa to Hong Kong, granting them the ability to make unlimited visits over the course of a year, with each stay capped at a maximum of seven days.