Hong Kong recorded steady growth in visitor arrivals in 2024, the city’s tourism chief said on Wednesday, putting the number of whole-year visitor arrivals at close to 45 million, “which is in line with the forecast”.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui disclosed this in a written reply to a related query at the Legislative Council.

After the resumption of the multiple-entry Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), the number of mainland visitor arrivals in December exceeded 3.1 million, averaging over 100,000 people per day, which is 17 percent higher than the daily average in the previous month, she said.

In the past year, the central government rolled out various measures benefitting Hong Kong, including the expansion of IVS to cover 59 cities; the resumption of multiple-entry permits for Shenzhen residents to travel to Hong Kong and the expansion of the measure to cover residence permit holders; launching direct sleeper trains connecting Hong Kong with Beijing and Shanghai; and increasing the duty-free allowance for mainland residents for luggage articles brought into the mainland from Hong Kong.

Thanking the central government for the measures, Law said: “The government will make good use of the various measures benefitting Hong Kong to promote the all-round development of Hong Kong's tourism industry and maintain communication with the relevant ministries of the central government to enable more mainland travelers to visit Hong Kong more flexibly and conveniently.”

The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau issued the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0 on Dec 30, 2024, proposing working directions and measures in the coming five years.

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Speaking about the blueprint, Law said the government’s vision and mission are to consolidate the city’s position as a world-class premier tourist destination as well as to advocate the healthy and sustainable development of tourism-related industries and promote economic development through tourism.

Blueprint 2.0 proposes a four-pronged positioning for tourism development. They are: reinforcing the role of an international tourism hub and a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism; highlighting the irreplaceable and unrepeatable elements of Hong Kong's local cultural characteristics and making good use of its positioning as the East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange; upholding the SAR’s position as a city with high-quality tourism experiences; stressing the importance of quality over quantity in building the city into a demonstration point for sustainable tourism.

“Blueprint 2.0 also proposes four development strategies and 133 measures for further advocating the healthy and sustainable development of Hong Kong's tourism industry,” said the secretary.

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The strategies will aim to nurture and develop tourism products and initiatives with local and international characteristics; develop a diversified portfolio of visitor source markets for Hong Kong, with a focus on attracting high value-added overnight visitors; promote smart tourism; and to enhance the service quality and support of the tourism industry on all fronts, and to cultivate talents, she added.

Asked about the estimated number of visitor arrivals for 2025, the secretary said the government will announce the estimated number later after taking into account factors including airline capacity, exchange rates, global economic conditions, and travel patterns.

Pointing out that Hong Kong's culinary scene is a dynamic tapestry of diverse and vibrant flavors with the fusion of traditional Chinese and Western food cultures, Law said the government has been promoting the city as a "City of Gastronomy" to the global audience through different promotional means and channels.

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The Hong Kong Tourism Board collaborated with global TV channels and online streaming platforms to produce programs showcasing Hong Kong's culinary delights, such as "Restaurant on the Edge" on Netflix and "Kung Food! Hong Kong's Grandmasters of Cuisine" on Discovery Channel. The HKTB partnered with the renowned food show – "MasterChef Australia" last year to feature Hong Kong gourmet in its program.