HKTB launches “Hong Kong Summer Fun” campaign to boost tourism
Representative Image (9)
The HKTB also partners with Trip.com to launch promotions worth over HK$20 mn. Notably, campaign’s flagship event “Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival” will debut at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade from June 27 to 28.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has rolled out its new “Hong Kong Summer Fun” promotion, an integrated campaign designed specifically to maximise sales opportunities for the international travel trade during the peak summer season. The core objectives of the campaign are to attract high-value overnight visitors and significantly boost cross-sector consumption.
The HKTB will partner with Trip.com Group to launch promotions worth over HK$20 million, covering 19 local attractions and three transport operators. The promotions cover a wide range of popular travel products, including the Peak Tram, theme parks, the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, Noah’s Ark tickets, as well as round-trip Airport Express tickets and bus day passes.
From July 1 to August 31, the HKTB will collaborate with AlipayHK, Alipay and Alipay+, leveraging Alipay’s vast Chinese Mainland and Alipay+’s international partner e-wallet user base. At the same time, the HKTB will partner with the QTSA and the HKRMA to roll out a citywide series of offers.
Kicking off the summer season will be the 50th-anniversary edition of the campaign’s flagship “Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races”, organised by the HKTB, co-organised by the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association (HKCDBA), and title-sponsored by Sun Life. The event will be fully upgraded into the “Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival” and will debut at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade this month.
HKTB Chairman Dr Peter Lam said, “We aim to attract more overnight visitors to Hong Kong and boost consumption across more sectors. As the headline international flagship event of ‘Hong Kong Summer Fun’, the ‘Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival’ not only runs over a longer period, but also features a stronger race line-up and more vibrant entertainment programmes than in previous years, offering an experience found only in Hong Kong for locals and visitors, while showcasing Hong Kong’s position as the Events Capital of Asia.”
HKCDBA Chairman Arnold Chung said, “This year’s event introduces the ‘50th Anniversary Fishermen Invitational Cup’ and the ‘50th Anniversary Championship’, paying tribute to dragon boat racing while reflecting our commitment to preserving traditional culture and promoting the sustainable development of the sport. We will continue to advance dragon boat racing and showcase the unique charm of this traditional intangible cultural heritage to the world.”
“This iconic annual event brings together local communities and visitors from the Mainland and across the globe to celebrate a shared festive spirit, while inspiring people to live healthier lives. As we journey toward our 135th year in Hong Kong, we remain committed to preserving and promoting the heritage of dragon boat racing. For 17 consecutive years, our continuous support for local dragon boat activities has been a testament to our core values of teamwork, unity, and striving forward. This year, we are taking it a step further by using the power of sport to unite communities in a more meaningful way, including sponsoring teams comprising cancer survivors and their families, as well as secondary school students, to bring renewed energy, hope and inspiration to our city,” said Clement Lam, Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life Hong Kong
This year’s races will be held on June 27 to 28, with the number of participating teams, countries and regions higher than last year. Teams from 16 countries and regions will take part, including the Chinese Mainland, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Qatar and Indonesia. Over 220 teams and more than 4,500 athletes will compete in 21 races.
For the first time, the Dragon Boat Festival held at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade will be extended to 13 days, spanning from June 19(Dragon Boat Festival) to July 1 to encourage visitors to stay longer and enjoy a cultural experience that blends tradition and modernity.
The festival will also debut a series of intangible cultural heritage workshops, where visitors can experience activities such as fishing net plaiting, blown sugar making, lye rice dumpling making and others.
The festival has received support from 14 sponsors. The HKTB has also partnered with the Tsim Sha Tsui East Property Developers Association, collaborating with over 30 shops to roll out hotel, dining and shopping offers during the festival period to boost spending in the area.
“Hong Kong Summer Fun” covers cultural, entertainment, sports, and music programmes, including Hong Kong ICH Month, the Chinese Culture Festival, the Hong Kong Football Festival, the Football Summit, the Volleyball Nations League Hong Kong, the Fencing World Championships 2026 Hong Kong, China, the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, and Hong Kong Reunification Raceday.
