Hong Kong visitor arrivals up 15 pct in first 4 months

HONG KONG, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong recorded about 18.52 million visitor arrivals in the first four months of 2026, up 15 percent year on year, data from the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) showed on Friday.

During the January-April period, visitor arrivals from the Chinese mainland climbed 18 percent from a year ago to 14.18 million, while visits from the rest of the world grew 8 percent to 4.34 million, the data showed.

In April alone, visitor arrivals to the city stood at about 4.22 million, up 10 percent over the previous year.

The HKTB attributed the increase to the Hong Kong Sevens held in April. As one of the most iconic events in world rugby, the tournament has helped draw more international visitors to the city, sustaining the upward trend seen in tourist arrivals.