The newly appointed Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism expects Hong Kong to see 45 million visitor arrivals by the end of 2024.

The government earlier estimated that the region would welcome 46 million tourists by year-end.

Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, Rosanna Law pointed out that the tourism sector has been doing quite well recently.

She said that during the first 11 months of the year, the SAR rolled out the red carpet for around 41 million travellers.

"Since the resumption of the multi-entry visa scheme [for Shenzhen residents], daily visitor numbers have been between 7 to 8 percent higher than the average for November," she said.

"Especially on weekends, average figures have increased by 30 percent, year-on-year."

Law, who said she felt "a great responsibility" in her new role, emphasised that various industries should make good use of the benefitting measures offered by the central government.

Meanwhile, the secretary also assured travellers that the government has already geared up for New Year's Eve celebrations, to ensure that mainland visitors have a smooth journey back home.

The government had earlier announced that opening hours of border crossings will be extended that day, and most MTR lines will run overnight.