Hong Kong – LCQ12: Strategies and steps for establishing visitor sources

Following is a concern by the Hon Yiu Pak-leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 8):

Concern:

There are views recommending that the succeeding conclusion and commissioning of the Three-runway System and Terminal 2 at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), combined with the stable application of the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (STGV) policy, has actually brought significant advancement chances to Hong Kong’s tourist market. The Government needs to take the aforementioned chances to boost the design of the air path network, establish a varied portfolio of visitor source markets and aim to bring in more transfer and transit guests to remain in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government notify this Council:

(1) of the overall variety of travelers dealt with by HKIA in 2018 and in each year from 2023 approximately the 2nd quarter of 2026; and amongst them, of the particular varieties of regional travelers, Mainland travelers, travelers from other locations, and guests moving and transiting through Hong Kong, with a tabulated breakdown of the above figures;

(2) as the Chief Executive proposed in the 2024 Policy Address to support HKIA to check out brand-new locations and flights, especially to improve co-operation with civil air travel equivalents from Belt and Road nations, of the brand-new direct-flight locations presented by Hong Kong and the particular varieties of weekly flights to and from such locations throughout the duration from 2025 to June 2026;

(3) as the Chief Executive proposed in the 2025 Policy Address that the Government would create more brand-new air services arrangements and broaden traffic rights with South America, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and so on, as the top priority target areas, whether the authorities have any strategies to sign up with hands with airline companies, hotels, the tourist market, and so on in developing external promotion methods targeting the aforementioned brand-new visitor source markets and introducing items that attract visitors from those markets; if so, of the information; if not, the factors for that;

(4) as the Government has actually increased the Air Passenger Departure Tax (APDT) from $120 to $200 per guest with impact from October 1, 2025 and extended the scope of travelers excused from APDT payment, of the APDT profits and the variety of travelers excused from APDT payment because that date, with the figures set out by month;

(5) offered the progressive boost in the volume of travelers moving and transiting at HKIA and their percentage in the general traveler throughput of HKIA, apart from the Airport Authority Hong Kong, whether the Government has actually introduced any particular promotion strategies, or what such strategies it will introduce in the future, to proactively promote the current scope of APDT exemption to other locations and present tourist items devoted to guests moving and transiting at HKIA; if so, of the information; if not, the factors for that; and

(6) as the growth plans of STGV revealed by the Guangdong and Hong Kong Governments on June 8, 2026 are anticipated to draw in more high-spending customer groups from cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to utilize HKIA in Hong Kong, whether the Government has any strategies to develop devoted promotion techniques for users of STGV, “Park ‍& ‍Fly” and “Park ‍& ‍Visit”and to sign up with hands with the tourist, retail and catering sectors in introducing targeted tourist items with regional attributes; if so, of the information; if not, the factors for that?

Reply:

President,

The Government has actually constantly been devoted to promoting the advancement of the air travel and tourist markets, and has actually carried out different steps to draw in and help with travelers from all over the world and the Chinese Mainland to check out Hong Kong through Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), thus promoting regional financial advancement. In assessment with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), our reply to the concern is as follows:

(1) According to the stats offered by the AAHK, the circulation of traveler at HKIA in 2018 and from 2023 to the 2nd quarter of 2026, is arranged listed below:

Keep in mind: The figures are provisionary and based on verification by airline companies.

(2) and (3) The Government has actually the whole time been working carefully with the AAHK to tactically bring in airline companies to include brand-new locations and increase flight frequencies through outreach groups, reward plans and policy assistance procedures. The AAHK introduced the Air Network Development Programme in June 2024, which supplies monetary rewards to motivate airline companies to release brand-new paths and increase flight frequencies on existing paths. As at end of May 2026, the Programme has actually brought in 40 airline companies to release 89 brand-new paths covering Asia, Europe, North America and Africa, in addition to increase flight frequencies on 14 existing paths.

HKIA presently serves an overall of 223 locations. From 2025 to date, HKIA has actually included an overall of 43 brand-new locations (consisting of those in Chinese Mainland, Pakistan, Japan, Indonesia, India, Laos, Greece, Latvia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Norway, Malaysia, Czechia, Serbia, Italy, Germany, Australia, and Romania). These locations are served by an overall of 96 weekly set up traveler and freight flights, along with non-scheduled guest and freight flights or charter services.

To draw in non-local airline companies (in specific those from areas such as South America, Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East) to resume and/or release brand-new paths, the AAHK has actually engaged with different airline companies to check out the possibility of resuming and/or introducing brand-new paths. Amongst these efforts, Etihad Airways resumed its Hong Kong-Abu Dhabi service in November 2025. In Addition, Delta Air Lines just recently resumed its direct flight services to Los Angeles after an eight-year hiatus. The AAHK earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Fly Khiva Group of Uzbekistan, under which both sides concurred to enhance exchanges and co-operation in locations such as establishing an extensive traveler and freight air transportation network, improving functional and service requirements, sustainable advancement and skill training.

(4) The Air Passenger Departure Tax (APDT) has actually been increased from $120 per guest to $200 with impact from October 1, 2025. The brand-new tax rate applies to air tickets bought on or after that date, and the scope of exemption has actually been encompassed guests who get here and leave Hong Kong by air on the exact same or list below calendar day; and guests who get here Hong Kong by other ways through migration control and leave from Hong Kong by air on the very same or list below calendar day.

Following the application of the abovementioned brand-new procedures, the regular monthly figures for APDT earnings and the variety of travelers excused from APDT (as at April 30, 2026) are as follows:

Keep in mind 1: The administrative charges paid to the airline companies and helicopter business (operators) has actually been subtracted from the quantity.

Keep in mind 2: The figures consist of qualified airline company guests who have actually been instantly excused by the operators’ ticketing system, in addition to travelers who had actually sent applications through the APDT refund platform and were given the exemptions. Guests who were qualified for exemption however did not obtain a refund have actually not been consisted of.

(5) As a local tourist and air travel center, Hong Kong sees numerous visitors transiting through the city each year. With the improved visa plans for incoming visitors released by the Chinese Mainland, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will completely take advantage of Hong Kong’s function as a “super connector” connecting the Chinese Mainland and abroad markets to tactically check out more organization chances.

The HKTB has actually combined details on different tourist items for incoming, outgoing, and transit visitors on its one-stop travel info platform Discover Hong Kong, which offers travel plan preparation and travel path guides for quick stopovers in Hong Kong. These guides cover dining, retail, destinations, culture and citywalks, and so on, motivating visitors to take the chance to check out Hong Kong before departure and improving the travel experience of transit travelers throughout their stay. The HKTB teams up with the trade to release advertising travel bundles customized for high-potential markets, including unique deals on airline companies, hotels, dining, destinations and transportation, so as to additional reinforce Hong Kong’s competitiveness as a transit center.

(6) The Governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong have actually broadened Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (Southbound Travel Scheme) given that mid-2026 from the preliminary 4 relevant cities to all 9 Chinese Mainland cities within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA); increased the everyday travel scheduling quota of entry into metropolitan location from 100 lorries to 200 automobiles; and presented the “Park & Visit” service to permit Guangdong tourists to park their cars and go into Hong Kong by means of the traveler clearance structure at the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

In tandem with the growth of the Southbound Travel Scheme, the Government has actually been motivating the hotel, tourist and retail sectors to use marketing plans covering shopping, parking and lodging for self-drive visitors getting in city location, which in turn draw in visitors under the Southbound Travel Scheme, particularly visitors remaining over night and household visitors, to remain for costs and sightseeing in numerous districts in Hong Kong. In addition, the AAHK has actually stepped up its promotion efforts targeting visitors from the GBA. As relates to the “Park & Fly” service, because its launch, the AAHK has actually worked together with Chinese Mainland travel platforms, automobile owners’ associations and airline companies to promote the service and associated user guides through social networks, crucial viewpoint leaders, and interviews by Chinese Mainland media. As relates to the upcoming “Park & Visit” service, the AAHK will continue to embrace the abovementioned advertising technique, and will check out joint advertising efforts with its service partners in Lantau, with a view to drawing in GBA tourists to drive into Hong Kong, see various tourist attractions and neighborhoods after arrival, and therefore promote the advancement of regional tourist, retail and catering sectors.