Hong Kong received about 4.03 million visitor arrivals in September, up 22 percent year on year, pushing the cumulative total for the first nine months of 2026 past the 40 million mark, the Tourism Board announced on Thursday.

The board said September's figures were boosted by the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and a series of festive events across the city, including the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and the inaugural "International Lantern Spectacular". A low base of comparison due to adverse weather in the same period last year also contributed to the growth, it added.

Arrivals from the mainland rose by nearly 30 percent year on year in September. The board said long-haul markets continued to grow at an ideal pace, while short-haul markets also benefited from the festive events but remained under pressure due to flight capacity constraints and fuel surcharges.

Looking ahead, the board said it would continue to promote Hong Kong through event tourism, Mice – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions – tourism and diverse "Only in Hong Kong" experiences.

Upcoming highlights for the rest of the year include "Hong Kong Halloween Month", the "Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival", "Hong Kong WinterFest" and the "Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations", it said.


Edited by Aaron Tam