The value of major events to Hong Kong’s economy has been further recognised with the latest  GDP figures released by the HKSAR government.

In the April-to-June period, Hong Kong recorded solid 3.1% year-on-year GDP growth, marking the 10th consecutive quarter of economic expansion

In a statement, the government noted, “This solid broad-based performance could be vividly seen in the high number of visitors to the city, including tourists and business visitors drawn by an array of events across town ranging from trade fairs to cultural festivals to mega sports events.”

One such event was the first Hong Kong Football Festival at the new Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) which saw close to 100,000 football fans packing the Kai Tak Stadium over two match days featuring games between Liverpool and AC Milan followed by Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur.

The crowd included the one-millionth spectator at the Kai Tak Stadium since it opened just five months ago.

Hong Kong welcomed about 24 million visitors in the first half of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 12%. Visitor arrivals from the Mainland saw a year-on-year increase of 10% while those from the rest of the world increased 17% over the same period last year.