Chief Executive John Lee said the Greater Bay Area (GBA) offers a key development opportunity for local tourism.

Lee made the comments in a speech at the 2025 World Tourism Cities Federation Hong Kong Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit held in the SAR on Tuesday.

The CE pointed out that the GBA has a population of over 86 million and a combined GDP rivalling that of the world's 10th largest economy.

"What it means is a consumer market and source of tourists that is over 10 times as large as our own city. What it also means, with our country’s facilitation measures for travellers, is that visitors who choose to visit this part of the world have much more cities to add to their itinerary," Lee said.

"We are fast developing in multi-destination tourism for an interconnected world."

Lee also said the SAR is dedicated to free and open trade, despite global trade tensions.