Hong Kong has expanded its traditional Dragon Boat races into a 13-day cultural and sporting festival, as authorities look for new ways to attract tourists and increase visitor spending.
This year’s event brings together around 4,500 participants across 220 teams from 16 countries and regions, alongside food markets, cultural performances, and tourism promotions across the city.
Despite rising visitor arrivals, numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels, and spending—particularly by mainland Chinese tourists, who make up the majority of visitors—has declined amid economic pressures and a stronger Hong Kong dollar.
Organisers hope that combining sport, culture, and retail incentives will encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more, helping support a tourism sector that underpins hundreds of thousands of jobs.
But with regional competition increasing and consumer habits shifting, questions remain over whether large-scale cultural events alone can restore the city’s former tourism momentum.
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