By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-04 10:06:29 | Updated at 2025-03-04 13:04:00
3 hours ago
A record-breaking number of Filipino visitors came to the city in 2024, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said as it revealed its focus on targeted initiatives designed to attract visitors with specific interests and boost spending.
The Board said on Tuesday that 1.19 million Filipino visitors came to Hong Kong in 2024, a record attributed to the Philippines’ strong economic growth, proximity, and the appeal of the city’s theme parks.
The Filipinos became the third largest group of visitors to Hong Kong last year following those from mainland China and Taiwan. The Philippines ranked sixth among a record year for Hong Kong tourism in 2018.
“We welcomed our one millionth visitor [of the year] from the Philippines last November,” said Dane Cheng Ting-yat, the board’s executive director on Tuesday.
“The Philippine economy is doing well; people are spending more, and they’re always looking for places to have fun. When they travel, they come with multi-generations,” he said. “They really like Hong Kong’s amusement parks such as Disneyland.”
The category of visitors underscored a broader recovery of non-mainland visitor arrivals in 2024, which also saw Taiwan and the United States emerging as key source markets.
