The Hong Kong Jockey Club attracted nearly 1,400 overseas visitors for its International Races week, a 130 percent increase from last year, generating over HK$35 million in retail and dining revenue for the local economy.
These visitors, joining organized racing tours from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and other Asian countries, are predominantly high-spending tourists. Their week-long Hong Kong itineraries combined race watching with sightseeing and shopping, benefiting local retail, hotel and catering sectors.
Many stayed in five-star hotels including The Peninsula Hong Kong, Kowloon Shangri-La and The Hari Hong Kong, and dined at high-end and Michelin-starred restaurants. Their spending, excluding pre-paid tour contributions to airlines and hotels, is estimated at HK$35 million.
During their stay, visitors toured major attractions like Victoria Peak, Lantau Island and Victoria Harbour, with some also visiting other Greater Bay Area cities.
The HKJC attributed the visitor surge to sustained facility upgrades and expanded access. The club has invested over HK$10 billion in a multi-year racecourse redevelopment masterplan and plans an additional HK$4 billion for further upgrades.
For this year's event week, more on-course catering venues were opened to visitors, including the recently refurbished "Champion Circle." The club also assisted tour groups with bookings.
The season has also seen a record 195,786 mainland Chinese spectators attending races.
The week's headline events are the Longines International Jockeys' Championship on December 10 and the Longines Hong Kong International Races on December 14. The latter, known as the "World Turf Championships," features 19 overseas horses competing across four Group One races.
Notable local contenders include Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising, both ranked joint-seventh in the latest Longines World's Best Racehorse rankings. Ka Ying Rising's victory in Australia's Everest race in October boosted international interest, with some overseas visitors specifically travelling to see it compete in the Hong Kong Sprint.
