Minutes after the Budget speech on 25 February, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) issued a statement thanking the government for a record HK$1.66 billion subvention for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Chairman Dr Peter Lam said the funds would be channelled into three areas: attracting high-end overnight visitors, upgrading “mega-event” experiences, and rebooting meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) traffic. The board plans to increase promotion in North America, Europe and the Middle East, pairing tactical airfare incentives with themed itineraries that bundle the Greater Bay Area (GBA) into multi-city packages. An estimated HK$300 million will underwrite a new "Asia Mega Events Quarter"—a cluster of sports, arts and fintech festivals timed for October–December to fill traditional shoulder-season hotel beds. Cruise tourism will also get fresh attention. Lam confirmed negotiations with two luxury cruise lines to home-port vessels in Hong Kong from winter 2026, supported by a HK$120 million marketing kitty. Separately, HKTB will devote HK$100 million to digital-experience upgrades, including an AI-powered “Hong Kong Trip Planner” that suggests cross-border side trips to Shenzhen and Macau. For corporate mobility managers, the subvention signals more flight capacity and event subsidies in the coming year. Trade-fair organisers can apply for a 50-percent venue-rental rebate, and hotels are expected to roll out bundled room-and-visa sponsorship deals in partnership with the Immigration Department’s MICE facilitation team. Industry groups welcomed the announcement, noting that visitor arrivals nearly hit 50 million in 2025. With the extra funding, HKTB forecasts surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 53 million by end-2026—good news for airlines, serviced-apartment operators and mobility service providers alike.
