Official data shows that Hong Kong welcomed 21 million visitors in the first half of 2024, marking a 64% year-on-year increase. However, visitors spent fewer nights than in 2023.

The Tourism Board reported on Tuesday that the average number of nights visitors spent per trip fell to 3.2 between January and June this year, down from 4.9 in the first quarter of 2023.

The board previously stated that it anticipated 46 million tourists would visit Hong Kong this year, a 35% increase from last year. This estimate represents 70% of the 65 million visitors the city had in 2018, South China Morning Post reports.

According to the latest data, 21 million people, averaging 116,000 visitors per day, visited Hong Kong in the first half of this year, representing a 64% increase from last year.

Approximately 16.1 million visitors in the first half of the year were from mainland China, representing a year-on-year increase of over 60%.

In addition, around 5 million visitors came from regions outside mainland China, marking an 80% increase from last year. Around half of these visitors stayed overnight in the first half of 2024, consistent with the previous year's figures.

Solely in June, 3.13 million visitors were registered, a 14% year-on-year rise.

“Visitors were satisfied with their overall experience in Hong Kong,” the board said. “Overnight visitors rated Hong Kong 8.7 out of 10 for satisfaction from January to May.

“94% of visitors said they intended to revisit and recommend Hong Kong to others.”

Moreover, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung stated earlier this year that tourist arrivals from the mainland and Southeast Asia had recovered “quite well”.

He noted that officials would prioritise promoting tourism in Hong Kong to the Middle East, along with the European and American markets.