Chen Guoji: It is estimated that the total number of visitors to Hong Kong this year will reach 53.8 million, an 8% increase year-on-year.

On June 10, Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Chen Guoji attended the 2026 Hong Kong Tourism Development Forum and stated in his speech that the tourism industry in Hong Kong has been steadily developing in the past few years. In 2025, we received approximately 50 million visitors, which was a 12% increase from 2024, and the achievement was encouraging. As we step into 2026, the development of the tourism industry in Hong Kong continues to show strong momentum, with over 18.5 million visitors in the first four months of the year. We estimate that the total number of visitors to Hong Kong for the whole year will reach 53.8 million, an 8% increase from the previous year. Chen Guoji continued by stating that we will make good use of Hong Kong's advantages as an international metropolis, continuously improve service quality, and fully promote the development of tourism. We will combine different elements such as culture, sports, and events with tourism to create more products, experiences, and activities that have Hong Kong's unique characteristics. We want every visitor to Hong Kong to feel welcome, comfortable, and at home, truly experiencing the charm of this city. This year marks the beginning of the national "14th Five-Year Plan." Tourism is one of the important areas for promoting high-quality development, and the plan aims to deepen cultural development through tourism and vice versa to achieve the strategic goal of building a strong tourism nation. The plan also supports the deepening of Hong Kong's role as a center for cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, as well as enhancing its position as an international aviation hub. The Chief Executive announced yesterday that the Hong Kong SAR government will launch a two-month public consultation on the first "Five-Year Plan" for Hong Kong starting next Monday. The government will actively listen to the opinions of various sectors, align with the strategic direction of the "14th Five-Year Plan," and fully utilize the favorable policies from the central government to develop Hong Kong into a world-class tourism destination and leverage its unique advantages in national openness to become an important window for cultural exchange between East and West. The content of this year's Hong Kong Tourism Development Forum is very rich, with themes such as "technology empowerment" and "tourism cooperation." The main forum will focus on "helping Hong Kong become a world-class preferred tourism destination," discussing how to further enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of Hong Kong tourism. I would like to thank China Travel Group for their efforts in organizing this forum and allowing everyone to come together for brainstorming. I also encourage every participant in the forum to be creative and contribute ideas for the development of the tourism industry in Hong Kong. In conclusion, I sincerely wish the 2026 Hong Kong Tourism Development Forum a complete success and also wish for the rapid development of the tourism industry in both the country and Hong Kong. Thank you all! June 10, 2026 (Wednesday) 9:46 AM Hong Kong Time