The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has announced a new summer promotion, 'Hong Kong Summer Fun', set to launch on June 19, 2026. This initiative will connect a series of citywide highlight events and attractive offers to energize the peak summer travel season. The HKTB will collaborate with the business community to provide a wide range of deals covering attractions, dining, transportation, and shopping, aiming to enhance Hong Kong's appeal as a summer destination, attract more overnight visitors, and boost overall spending.
Kicking Off the Summer Season: Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival
The summer season will begin with the 50th-anniversary edition of the 'Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races', organized by the HKTB and co-organized by the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association (HKCDBA), with title sponsorship from Sun Life. This event has been upgraded to 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 stated, 'The summer holidays are a golden period for travel, and with a wave of mega events this summer, the HKTB is proud to present the new summer promotion “Hong Kong Summer Fun”, leveraging different events to strengthen promotion and partnering with the business community to roll out hundreds of thousands of offers covering attraction, dining, transport and shopping. 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 programme 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.'
Over 220 Dragon Boat Teams from Around the World Compete
This year's races will be held on June 27 and 28, with a higher number of participating teams, countries, and regions compared to last year. Teams from 16 countries and regions, including the Chinese Mainland, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Qatar, and Indonesia, will take part. Over 220 teams and more than 4,500 athletes will compete in 21 races.
Special 50th Anniversary Fishermen Invitational Cup
First held in 1976 by the then Hong Kong Tourist Association, the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races began as competitions among fishermen's dragon boats in the Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter. They have since evolved into a unique international mega event, bringing together top teams from around the world in Victoria Harbour and integrating sport, culture, and entertainment. This year, the '50th Anniversary Fishermen Invitational Cup' has been introduced, inviting six local fishermen teams from areas such as Aberdeen and Chai Wan to compete using traditional wooden dragon boats. Additionally, a new '50th Anniversary Championship' has been added, bringing together champions from nine major race categories to compete for the title of 'Ultimate Dragon Boat Champion'.
Extended to 13 Days with Double the Excitement
For the first time, the Dragon Boat Festival at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade will be extended to 13 days, from June 19 (Dragon Boat Festival) to July 1, encouraging visitors to stay longer and enjoy a cultural experience blending tradition and modernity. The Avenue of Stars will feature a Dragon Boat Food Lane, complemented by four themed photo spots: the Sun Life HK Dragon Boat Co-Creation Zone, a 22-metre traditional wooden dragon boat, a dragon boat-themed installation in collaboration with the new film Minions & Monsters, and a Giant Coca-Cola Bottle and Dragon Boat-themed Photo Spot. Together, these elements offer a new festive experience for locals and visitors.
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, and lye rice dumpling making. Visitors can experience dragon boat racing through virtual reality (VR), using innovative technology to explore this traditional festival. On weekends and public holidays, there will be a vibrant lineup of intangible cultural heritage performances, including Wing Chun, diabolo, ruan, and guzheng. As evening falls, the atmosphere will come alive with a series of live music performances. In addition, a dedicated live broadcast viewing zone will allow both the public and visitors to watch the thrilling action of the Victoria Harbour races up close.
The Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat 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 Offers Hundreds of Thousands of Deals
During the 'Hong Kong Summer Fun' promotion period, the HKTB will collaborate with Trip.com Group, the Quality Tourism Services Association (QTSA), the Hong Kong Retail Management Association (HKRMA), Alipay, and various merchants to launch 'Summer Deals', offering hundreds of thousands of offers.
Exclusive Travel Packages Featuring Attraction Tickets and Transport Discounts
The offers start the moment visitors begin planning their trip to Hong Kong. The HKTB will partner with Trip.com Group to launch promotions worth over HK USD 20 million, covering 19 local attractions and three transport operators. From June 15 to August 31, visitors who book hotels in Hong Kong via Trip.com or Ctrip for the period from July 1 to September 14, with a single transaction of HK USD 1,500 or above, will enjoy double rewards: one attraction ticket offer and one public transport offer of choice, with discounts of up to 50 per cent. 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, round-trip Airport Express tickets, and bus day passes. After booking, visitors can redeem the offers directly through the platform, with redemption valid for two weeks from the hotel reservation date. Each Trip.com and Ctrip account can redeem the offer once, on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last.
Multiple In-Town Spending Rewards and Half-Price Deals
From July 1 to August 31, the HKTB will collaborate with AlipayHK, Alipay, and Alipay+ to leverage Alipay's vast international partner e-wallet user base. Visitors simply need to scan designated QR codes at nearly 100 participating shopping malls across Hong Kong—including Central Market, Hysan Place, ifc mall, Hong Kong International Airport, K11, Mira Place, New Town Plaza, Olympian City, Peak Galleria, SOGO, Stanley Plaza, Times Square, Windsor House, and more—to join the activity and receive a random spending reward of up to HK USD 500 or RMB 500, which can be used at any merchant displaying the AlipayHK, Alipay or Alipay+ payment acceptance mark.
At the same time, the HKTB will partner with the QTSA and the HKRMA to roll out a citywide series of offers. Arriving visitors can enjoy shopping and dining discounts of up to 50 per cent at various merchants. Details will be announced later.
Comprehensive Summer Programme
'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, the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, and Hong Kong Reunification Raceday. To help visitors plan their itineraries, the HKTB has consolidated Hong Kong's summer mega events and promotional offers on its Discover Hong Kong website under the 'Hong Kong Summer Fun' information platform (www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/events/summer-fun.html), allowing locals and visitors to access event and offer details in one place and easily enjoy a vibrant summer experience in Hong Kong.
