Blog

Rich and Happy Experiences in Culture, Sports and Tourism

Hong Kong has been exceptionally busy in recent months, with cultural, entertainment and sports events giving fans the opportunity to see their idols and fulfill their dreams. Take the Kai Tak Sports Park for example. It has hosted many performances by popular singers and bands in just over three months since its official opening. Over the next few months, there will be a number of highly anticipated concerts and sports events, and fans are already scrambling for tickets.

At the same time, with the opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park, performers now have more venue options. The iconic Hong Kong Coliseum, traditionally a go-to concert venue, offers more slots for a wide variety of performances. Among them, an upcoming stand-up comedy show at the Hong Kong Coliseum has become a hot-ticket event. The performer, a Hong Kong resident raised in the United States, is returning to Hong Kong for his first ever performance in Asia, making it particularly meaningful. On the sports front, events such as the Hong Kong Sevens in March and the recent match between the Hong Kong, China team and Manchester United at the Hong Kong Stadium were thrilling, and attracted enthusiastic local and international fans. In arts and culture, events like Art Basel in March, and the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department during April to July, have enriched the city's cultural scene, drawing many art enthusiasts from the Mainland and abroad.

A wide range of events under different themes have bolstered Hong Kong's appeal and attracted enthusiasts from both the local community and neighbouring regions, including over 80 million of our compatriots living in the Greater Bay Area, as well as visitors from the Chinese Mainland and across Asia. This growing audience base has enhanced the scalability of concerts and other events, helping Hong Kong attract more world-class performers. These events would also create a shared tapestry of memories for all participants.

Yesterday, I attended the opening ceremony of Xiaohongshu, a Mainland enterprise, at their new office in Hong Kong.

Since the beginning of this year, visitor arrivals in Hong Kong have continued to grow, with notable increases in both Mainland and non-Mainland visitors. In the first five months of this year, Hong Kong welcomed approximately 20 million visitors, three-quarters of whom were from the Mainland, representing a year-on-year increase of about 10%. Non-Mainland visitor growth was even higher, at 18%.

It is estimated that the mega events held in the first half of the year will attract around 840,000 visitors, generating HK$3.3 billion in spending and contributing an economic value added of HK$1.8 billion. We actively bring together different mega events during the planning process and integrate them with Hong Kong's tourist attractions to maximise synergy. This approach not only enhances the tourism experience but also encourages visitors to stay longer and explore more. The industry has also stepped up promotion efforts. For instance, during a recent international pop concert at the Kai Tak Sports Park, hotel packages were launched and met with a very positive response. The West Kowloon Cultural District and other performance venues have also been working closely with the tourism sector, connecting concert organisers with nearby hotels, shopping malls, shops, restaurants and tourist spots to offer promotional packages and discounts. Thereby they capitalised on the opportunities brought by mega events. The Mega Events Development and Advancement Division of the Hong Kong Tourism Board has taken a proactive role in promoting Hong Kong's unique advantages to global event organisers, encouraging them to stage performances in the city.

Yesterday, I attended the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong office of Xiaohongshu, a Mainland enterprise with deep ties to Hong Kong. The platform started as a shopping guide for Hong Kong and then gained popularity and expanded rapidly. They chose Hong Kong for opening its first office outside the Mainland. This once again underscores the model where quality companies from the Mainland use Hong Kong as a springboard for going global. Xiaohongshu now has over 300 million monthly active users, making it one of the fastest-growing startups on the Mainland in recent years. It also has approximately 2 million users in Hong Kong. During my visit to Shanghai in November last year, I toured their headquarters and was impressed by the team's youthful energy, innovative spirit and thorough understanding of young people's preferences. Recommendations on their platform are highly valued by users. At that time, I invited them to establish a presence in Hong Kong. Both the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) and Invest Hong Kong offered substantial assistance.

People's desire for a quality lifestyle, pursuit of new experiences, and exploration of urban culture and uniqueness, represent significant business opportunities that can be transformed into immense value. This highlights the importance of staying attuned to – and even leading – changes in consumer behaviour, whether through reimagining the design and marketing of products and services, launching new products from time to time, enriching narratives, or leveraging the power of social media.

Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, a variety of cultural, sports and tourism events will continue to unfold in Hong Kong, including spectacular football matches, the Wine & Dine Festival, concerts and more. Combined with new tourist attractions, rural and urban highlights, and unique spots in different neighborhoods, these events are expected to attract a large number of visitors. We are confident that the number of visitors will continue to rise throughout the year. It is equally important to ensure that visitors have a memorable experience – whether playing, dining or shopping – so that they leave with fond memories and a desire to return and recommend Hong Kong to others. This will help tell the good story of Hong Kong and turn visitors into fans of the city.

June 8, 2025