Hong Kong records more than 31.21 million visitor arrivals in January–July, up 11.4% year on year, as Indian overnight traffic strengthens
Hong Kong recorded continued growth in international visitor arrivals during the first seven months of 2026, with the Indian market showing particularly strong momentum in July.
The city welcomed 4.50 million visitors in July, taking total arrivals between January and July to 31.22 million, according to the latest statistics from the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). The seven-month total was up about 11% year on year, while July arrivals increased by approximately 3%.
The detailed figures show that 239,544 Indian visitors travelled to Hong Kong during the first seven months of the year, an increase of around 3% compared with the corresponding period in 2025.
Indian arrivals accelerated in July, rising 22.3% to 32,416. The increase was driven primarily by overnight travel, with overnight arrivals from India climbing 40.5% to 20,490. Same-day arrivals were broadly stable at 11,926, edging up 0.1% year on year.
Overnight Indian travel gains momentum
The stronger performance in overnight arrivals is particularly significant for Hong Kong’s tourism sector, as longer-stay visitors generally generate greater spending across accommodation, dining, attractions, retail and entertainment.
Between January and July, overnight arrivals from India rose 11.8% to 161,920, compared with 144,838 in the same period last year.
Same-day arrivals, by contrast, declined 11.6% to 77,624, indicating that the overall growth in the Indian market is being driven increasingly by visitors staying overnight.
The performance reinforces India’s importance as a long-haul tourism market for Hong Kong, particularly as the city seeks to encourage visitors to extend their stays and explore a broader range of neighbourhoods and experiences.
Hong Kong surpasses 31 million arrivals
Across all source markets, Hong Kong received 31,216,330 visitors between January and July, according to the HKTB.
Visitors from the Chinese Mainland accounted for 24.16 million arrivals, an increase of 13% year on year, while non-Mainland markets generated 7.05 million arrivals, up 5%.
The composition of arrivals also highlights a significant difference between overnight and same-day travel. Overnight arrivals reached approximately 13.49 million during the first seven months, up 1.1%, while same-day arrivals rose 20.7% to around 17.73 million.
The strong increase in same-day traffic has helped drive overall visitor numbers, although the HKTB continues to focus on encouraging longer stays and higher visitor spending.
Long-haul markets outperform
Hong Kong’s long-haul markets continued to deliver strong growth during the January–July period.
Arrivals from the United States increased 12.2% to 657,025, while visitors from Canada rose 20% to 232,713. The United Kingdom recorded a 13.4% increase to 218,824.
France and Germany also posted strong gains, with arrivals increasing by 24.3% and 18%, respectively. Australia remained another important long-haul market, with visitor arrivals rising 19.7% to 301,356.
The performance of these markets is consistent with the HKTB’s broader observation that long-haul destinations have maintained strong growth momentum in 2026.
New markets register double-digit growth
Markets classified by the HKTB as new markets — including India, GCC markets, Russia, the Netherlands and Vietnam — collectively generated 484,932 arrivals during January–July, an increase of 16% year on year.
Russia was among the fastest-growing markets, with arrivals surging 66.1% to 143,435. Visitors from the Netherlands increased 15.5% to 53,278, while arrivals from GCC markets rose 3.8% to 13,352.
The growth reflects Hong Kong’s continuing efforts to diversify its visitor base and develop markets beyond its traditional regional sources.
MICE events support visitor growth
The latest performance also comes against a backdrop of strong business-events activity in Hong Kong.
Major international events held in July included the 108th Lions International Convention and LEAP East, a major technology exhibition from the Middle East. The HKTB said such events helped support business and MICE visitor growth from several source markets.
More than 100 large-scale MICE events were held in Hong Kong during the first half of 2026, while overnight MICE visitor arrivals increased 12% year on year between January and May.
The city is expected to host a further programme of international conventions, exhibitions, sporting events and cultural festivals during the second half of the year.
India remains an important growth market
For the Indian travel market, the July figures provide a positive indication of renewed demand for Hong Kong, particularly for overnight holidays and leisure travel.
The increase comes as the HKTB continues to promote Hong Kong as a destination combining major attractions with neighbourhood experiences, dining, shopping, culture and entertainment.
With direct air connectivity and a broad range of tourism products, Hong Kong remains well positioned to benefit from the continued expansion of Indian outbound travel.
The strong July performance, particularly the 40.5% increase in overnight Indian arrivals, suggests that the market could play an increasingly important role in Hong Kong’s strategy to attract longer-staying international visitors and increase tourism spending.
Editorial verification: The overall July and January–July arrival figures have been checked against the HKTB’s official July 2026 release and detailed tourism statistics. The HKTB reported 4,503,842 arrivals in July and 31,216,330 in January–July. The official release rounds these increases to 3% and 11%, respectively; the supplied copy’s 2.6% and 11.4% figures are calculated from the underlying comparison figures.
