London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Nov 10, 2025

Despite Protests, Hong Kong Will Have the Most Global Arrivals in 2019

Despite Protests, Hong Kong Will Have the Most Global Arrivals in 2019

Visits to Hong Kong are predicted to fall in 2019, according to Euromonitor, but it’s still expected to welcome 26.7 million arrivals, more than any other city in the world.
Despite more than half a year of turmoil, Hong Kong is expected to see more arrivals in 2019 than any other city in the world. That’s according to Euromonitor International, which released its annual review of the world’s top 100 cities by arrivals.

Since March, pro-democracy protestors have swarmed Hong Kong’s streets, primarily on the weekends, to challenge China’s authoritative political involvement in the region.

Even though visits to Hong Kong are predicted to fall at least 8.7% in 2019, according to Euromonitor, the city is still expected to welcome 26.7 million arrivals, with more than 50% of those coming from mainland China. In 2018, Hong Kong totaled 29 million arrivals.

Euromonitor’s report is based on 2018’s recorded international arrivals, encompassing any person visiting another country for at least 24 hours for business or recreation, as well as partial 2019 data.

In 2019, at least 47% of the world’s global arrivals are expected to be in Euromonitor’s top 100 cities, an increase of 6.2%.

Globally, arrivals are expected to surpass 1.5 billion in 2019, an increase of 4.2% year over year. More than 200 million of those will be Chinese tourists, according to Caroline Bremner, head of travel for Euromonitor.

“It’s definitely driven by interregional travel,” Bremner said. “The outbound market in China is very strong. … There’s a high level of millennials that are tech-savvy and highly mobile.”

Bangkok, London, Macau and Singapore round out Euromonitor’s top five for 2018. New York is the only city in the Americas to appear in the top 25 for 2018 and is expected to welcome 14 million arrivals in 2019, an increase of 3%.

While Delhi, India is currently ranked 11th, it looks to enter the top 10 in 2019, with an expected growth of 20.2%. Behind Asia, which has 43 cities in the top 100, Europe is considered the world’s fastest-growing regional destination with 32 cities in the rankings.

London, third among arrivals in 2018, saw growth drop 3% and is predicted to fall an additional 1.7% in 2019. Euromonitor credits Brexit fears for the fall.

Despite sociopolitical uncertainty, there won’t be many changes in the top 10 in 2019.

“From year to year, you won’t see much change,” said travel expert Tim Leffel. “New York will always be popular. Paris will always be popular. I wonder if Bangkok will surpass Hong Kong. It’s seen steady growth and they’ve weathered some terrible political storms, and they haven’t missed a beat. Hong Kong has been in the news constantly for months. … It takes a long time for leisure travelers to forget.”

Today, more than 55% of the world’s population lives in cities, according to Euromonitor, and within the next century, that figure could increase to 85%.

“[Cities] are magnetic for economic growth; they attract entrepreneurs and startups. … If you’re a marketer or advertiser, you have to take more of a city-centric view,” Bremner said.

The report also forecasts six more megacities-cities with more than 10 million residents-by 2030, bringing the total to 39 worldwide.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
UK Report Backs Generational Smoking Ban Ahead of Tobacco & Vapes Bill Review
UK’s Domino’s Pizza Group Reports Modest Like-for-Like Sales Growth in Q3
UK Supplies Additional Storm Shadow Missiles to Ukraine as Trump Alleges Russian Underground Nuclear Tests
High-Profile Broodmare Puca Sells for Five Million Dollars at Fasig-Tipton ‘Night of the Stars’
Wilt Chamberlain’s One-of-a-Kind ‘Searcher 1’ Supercar Heads to Auction
Erling Haaland’s Remarkable Run: 13 Premier League Goals in 10 Matches and Eyes on History
UK Labour Peer Warns of Emerging ‘Constituency for Hating Jews’ in Britain
UK Home Secretary Admits Loss of Border Control, Warns Public Trust at Risk
President Trump Expresses Sympathy for UK Royal Family After Title Stripping of Prince Andrew
Former Prince Andrew to Lose His Last Military Title as King Charles Moves to End His Public Role
King Charles Relocates Andrew to Sandringham Estate and Strips Titles Amid Epstein Fallout
Two Arrested After Mass Stabbing on UK Train Leaves Ten Hospitalised
Glamour UK Says ‘Stay Mad Jo x’ After Really Big Rowling Backlash
Former Prince Prince Andrew Faces Possible U.S. Congressional Appearance Over Jeffrey Epstein Inquiry
×