Hong Kong seems to be making its way up back in the rankings of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. The city has taken the No. 4 place on Euromonitor International’s Top 10 Cities for International Arrivals in 2024, with Bangkok, Istanbul, and London emerging in the first 3 spots. Other Asian cities on the list include Macau and Kuala Lumpur.

Hong Kong Visitor Numbers up by 19% in 2024

According to data analytics and research specialist Euromonitor, Hong Kong logged 20.5 million international trips — a 19% increase from the previous year that saw the city move up two spots in the list. Bangkok surpassed 2023 leader Istanbul to take the No. 1 position, most likely due to a new move that granted nationals of 93 countries the right to enter Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days.

RANKCITY
1Bangkok
2Istanbul
3London
4Hong Kong
5Mecca
6Antalya
7Dubai
8Macau
9Paris
10Kuala Lumpur
The Top 10 Cities for International Arrivals in 2024 (© Euromonitor International)

While regional rival Singapore featured in Euromonitor’s list of Top 10 City Destinations, it did not make its international arrivals list. Hong Kong’s neighbouring SAR Macau claimed the No. 9 spot, while Kuala Lumpur rounded out the top 10.

More visitors from Mainland China and South East Asia

The Hong Kong Tourism Board said that provisional full-year visitor arrivals for 2024 were close to 44.5 million — up 31% from the previous year. More than 76% of travellers who entered the city were from Mainland China (34 million), while most non-Mainland visitors — a record-breaking 1.2 million — came from the Philippines.

Authorities also said that arrivals from Indonesia and Malaysia increased by 43% and 50% respectively, and that the number of Indian visitors went up by more than 70% since 2023. There were also more visitors from North America, Canada, and Australia, which the tourism board attributed to increased flights between Hong Kong and these regions. More than half of the city’s tourists stayed overnight, averaging stays of 3.2 nights in the territory.

See also
Hong Kong Airlines Starts New Direct Flights to Sydney This Summer

Image credits: SeanPavonePhoto via Canva

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From the Middle East to the Far East and a couple of places in between, Anjali has lived in no fewer than seven cities in Asia, and has travelled extensively in the region. She worked as a lifestyle journalist in India before coming to Hong Kong, where her favourite thing to do is island-hopping with her daughter. You can check out her musings on motherhood, courtesy her Instagram profile.