Monthly hotel occupancy rate in Hong Kong 2020-2024
In May 2024, the hotel occupancy rate of all surveyed Hong Kong hotels ranged at around 78 percent. The average hotel occupancy in Hong Kong had been severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in previous years and has been gradually recovering since 2023.
Visitor arrivals in Hong Kong
Being the premier travel spot in Asia, Hong Kong is known for its thriving nightlife and being a shopping heaven. It had a tough time during the pandemic, with the monthly number of visitor arrivals in Hong Kong falling off a cliff from around 3.2 million in 2019 to fewer than ten thousand in 2021. This resulted in a plummeting annual hotel occupancy rate. The situation improved after Beijing adopted a more flexible stance on Covid-19 regulations in December 2022, prompting Hong Kong to lift remaining travel restrictions.
Reviving Hong Kong’s tourism
Affected by various factors, such as the global economy and aircraft capacity, a return to pre-pandemic visitor numbers remains a challenging goal. The aviation sector is projected to recover by the end of 2024, earlier than initially anticipated, yet labor shortage still persists. Many individuals who were laid off during the pandemic are hesitant to re-enter the industry workforce. In an effort to rejuvenate the tourism sector, the government introduced several strategic campaigns with an emphasis on the night economy, trying to open up residents’ wallets. HKTB has also been diversifying tourism products, including promoting local neighborhoods to visitors seeking immersive cultural experiences and unveiling the Hong Kong Citywalk Guide in partnership with the social media platform Xiaohongshu.
