Tourists take photos of cruising fishing vessels on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Hong Kong, July 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Tourist arrivals to Hong Kong in the first 11 months of 2025 grew 12% year on year, buoyed by the 15th National Games and other mega events, according to local data.

Tourist arrivals in the first 11 months stood at around 45 million, beating the annual total in 2024, said Rosanna Law, secretary for culture, sports and tourism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

The Kai Tak Sports Park opened in March and hosted some of the events of the 15th National Games, boosting Hong Kong's confidence and capacity for holding major events, noted Law.

The 15th National Games, jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, created an opportunity to combine sports events and sightseeing, said Law. Hong Kong's tourism sector has since rolled out tour services within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to bolster businesses.