Hong Kong Summer Fun 2026 Boosts Tourism with Events Travel Offers and Dragon Boat Festival Activities
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched a new tourism campaign called “Hong Kong Summer Fun” to attract visitors during the peak summer travel season. The initiative combines major events, travel promotions and citywide offers to encourage longer stays and increase visitor spending across different sectors of the tourism economy.
The campaign brings together cultural festivals, sporting events, shopping promotions and dining experiences while highlighting Hong Kong’s appeal as a summer destination for both regional and international travellers.
Dragon Boat Festival Takes Centre Stage
One of the key attractions of the campaign is the upgraded Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival. The event marks the 50th anniversary of the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races and introduces a larger festival format than previous editions.
The races will take place on 27 and 28 June in Victoria Harbour, bringing together teams from around the world. More than 220 teams and over 4,500 athletes from 16 countries and regions are expected to participate across 21 race categories.
Participating countries and regions include the Chinese Mainland, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Qatar and Indonesia.
Celebrating 50 Years of Dragon Boat Racing
The dragon boat races have a long history in Hong Kong. First organised in 1976 by the former Hong Kong Tourist Association, the event began as a competition among local fishermen in Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter. Over the decades, it has evolved into an international sporting and cultural event.
To mark the 50th anniversary, organisers have introduced the “50th Anniversary Fishermen Invitational Cup.” The special race will feature six local fishermen teams competing in traditional wooden dragon boats, reflecting the event’s historical roots.
A new “50th Anniversary Championship” will also bring together winners from nine major race categories to compete for an overall championship title.
Festival Extended to 13 Days
For the first time, the Dragon Boat Festival celebrations along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade will run for 13 days, from 19 June to 1 July. The extended format is designed to encourage visitors to spend more time in Hong Kong while enjoying a mix of traditional and modern experiences.
The Avenue of Stars will feature a Dragon Boat Food Lane and Beer Garden alongside several themed photo attractions. Visitors will also find a 22-metre traditional wooden dragon boat display, movie-themed installations and interactive exhibits.
Cultural Experiences and Live Entertainment
The festival programme includes workshops focused on traditional cultural practices and intangible heritage. Visitors can participate in activities such as fishing net plaiting, sugar art making and traditional rice dumpling preparation.
Virtual reality experiences will allow visitors to explore dragon boat racing through immersive technology. Live cultural performances including Wing Chun demonstrations, diabolo shows and traditional music performances will take place throughout the festival period. Evening live music performances will add to the entertainment programme.
A dedicated viewing zone will also enable visitors to watch the Victoria Harbour races through live broadcasts.
Travel Deals and Visitor Promotions
As part of the campaign, HKTB is partnering with travel and retail organisations to offer hundreds of thousands of promotions and discounts.
One of the major initiatives involves collaboration with Trip.com Group. Promotions worth more than HK$20 million will be available across 19 attractions and three transportation providers. Visitors booking eligible hotel stays can access attraction discounts and transportation offers with savings of up to 50%.
The promotions include attractions such as the Peak Tram, theme parks, the Hong Kong Observation Wheel and Noah’s Ark. Transport offers include Airport Express tickets and bus travel passes.
Shopping and Dining Rewards Across the City
From July through August, visitors can access spending rewards through partnerships with AlipayHK, Alipay and Alipay+. Participating visitors can scan QR codes at nearly 100 shopping centres across Hong Kong for the chance to receive spending rewards worth up to HK$500 or RMB 500.
Additional shopping and dining promotions offering discounts of up to 50% will also be available through partnerships with local retail and tourism organisations. Some of these offers will be available to residents as well as visitors.
Summer Events Across Hong Kong
Beyond the Dragon Boat Festival, the campaign includes a broad calendar of cultural and sporting events. These include 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.
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