Ocean Park in Hong Kong sees a rebound in foot traffic: overseas visitors increase by 20%, mainland visitors increase by 15%

1、 Strong recovery of overseas customer base: Long distance market leads gains, with UK, US, and Australia increasing by nearly 60%

In the past three months, overseas visitors to Hong Kong Ocean Park have increased by over 20% year-on-year, with the three major long-distance markets of the UK, US, and Australia growing by nearly 60%, becoming the core engine of overseas passenger flow growth. This performance is highly consistent with the overall trend of Hong Kong visitors: in the first two months of 2026, non mainland visitors to Hong Kong increased by 8% year-on-year, and the long-distance market generally recorded a growth rate of 20% to 30%.

The recovery of overseas passenger flow is due to the resonance of multiple factors: firstly, the continuous encryption of Hong Kong international routes and the promotion of visa facilitation have lowered the threshold for long-distance travel; Secondly, Ocean Park continues to deepen its cultivation in the international market and enhance its brand influence through overseas promotion and cooperation channels; The third is the continuous fermentation of the giant panda IP, with six giant pandas (including the first pair of Hong Kong produced giant pandas) forming a unique attraction, which steadily attracts European and American family customers and animal enthusiasts. The significant growth of long-distance customer groups not only increases the total number of park visitors, but also optimizes the customer source structure and reduces dependence on a single market.

2、 Mainland tourists steadily increase: 15% growth rate, with study tours becoming a new highlight

During the same period, the number of mainland tourists in Ocean Park increased by about 15% year-on-year, continuing the steady recovery trend. Although this growth rate is slightly lower than the 22% increase in overall mainland visits to Hong Kong, it reflects the stable attractiveness of parks in the mainland market, especially in the areas of family tours, parent-child tours, and study tours, where they have significant advantages.

It is worth noting that in the first three months of 2026, the number of cross-border education and study tours from the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area received by Ocean Park increased by about 10% year-on-year, with students mainly coming from cities such as Shenzhen, Shantou, and Shanghai. Study tours have become a new growth point for mainland tourists: on the one hand, parks rely on marine conservation, animal science popularization, and ecological education resources to create integrated "tourism+education" products; On the other hand, the Greater Bay Area provides support for cross-border study abroad policies and facilitates transportation (such as high-speed rail and improved port efficiency), promoting the normalization of mainland students studying in Hong Kong. The study tour not only brings stable passenger flow, but also enhances customer stickiness and revisit rate, injecting new momentum into the long-term development of the park.

3、 Local customers first suppressed and then rebounded: Strong rebound in March, surpassing the same period last year

The local customer base shows a trend of "short-term decline, rapid rebound": during the Lunar New Year period, a large number of Hong Kong citizens travel abroad, resulting in short-term pressure on local visitors to the park; But after entering March, the number of local visitors has significantly rebounded, surpassing the same period last year.

The rapid recovery of local customers lies in the precise activation of the local market by the park: firstly, launching Spring Festival themed activities such as "Group Garden Celebrations for 2026", including the Eight Lions and One Dragon Park Opening Performance, Giant Windmill Check ins, and Special Group Year Packages, which meet the festive consumption needs of local citizens; Secondly, we will continue to optimize local preferential policies, launch package tickets, family tickets, etc., to reduce the cost of local family travel; Thirdly, as the Easter and Qingming holidays approach, the demand for local and surrounding tourism is concentrated, further driving the recovery of local passenger flow. The strong rebound of local customers provides a stable "base plate" for park passenger flow, complementing foreign customers.