The Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will make a splash in Victoria Harbour from June 24 to 25, after a four-year hiatus.

The Tourism Board said 4,000 athletes will join the festivities, including a quarter coming from outside the SAR.

Its executive director, Dane Cheng, said that new race formats have been implemented to celebrate the resumption of normal travel.

Teams will compete for the new Hong Kong-Macau Trophy, and also the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Championship.

"These events are meant to promote interaction among the cities in the Greater Bay Area, expand the market for twin-destination tourism between Hong Kong and Macau, and also push for a multi-stop travel experience," he said.

"We hope that more events, including sporting events, will include cultural elements to strengthen our cities' cooperation, and give tourists a fruitful experience in order to create our Greater Bay Area branding."