Hong Kong is projecting an 8% year-on-year rise in visitor arrivals this year amid plans by the city's Tourism Board to stage light festival attractions across popular tourist spots, the South China Morning Post reported.

The city expects to record 53.8 million visitor arrivals this year, compared with the 49.9 million recorded in 2025.

Government authorities are yet to provide a reason for the higher projection, though the Tourism Board's overview in March should add color to the forecasts, the report said.

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