Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said on October 17 that she was confident Hong Kong would meet its 2026 target of 53.8 million visitor arrivals.
HK01 and RTHK reported about 40.7 million arrivals from January to September, while Ming Pao reported 47 million.
Law said short-haul arrivals, particularly from Southeast Asia, had fallen, while mainland and long-haul arrivals remained healthy or had grown. She cited rising fuel prices, airfares and geopolitical factors as pressures on short-haul travel. Ming Pao also reported that she put Golden Week arrivals at 1.41 million, above an expectation of about 1.29 million.
Among the events Law cited for the rest of the year were the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals esports event, a Hong Kong golf open and a wine-and-dine festival.