Hong Kong bookings soar by 31% as Brits look east for their next adventure
Hong Kong is having a moment with British travellers, with bookings to the destination through cruise tour operator, Cruise Nation up 31% year-on-year, as holidaymakers look beyond traditional long-haul favourites and towards multi-destination itineraries across Asia.
The rise comes as Hong Kong continues to strengthen its position as a cruise hub in Asia.
In 2025, the destination saw a 26% increase in cruise ship calls compared with the previous year, while cruise passenger arrivals rose by 22%*, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
For Cruise Nation, the appeal appears to be less about Hong Kong as a standalone city break and more about its position as a gateway into a wider Asian itinerary. Combining a few nights exploring the city with a cruise means travellers can experience several destinations in one trip, without the hassle of having to organise multiple hotels, transfers and journeys themselves.
Phil Evans, Founder and Managing Director at Cruise Nation says: “Hong Kong has a huge amount going for it as a holiday destination, but what’s particularly interesting is how people are using it as the starting point for a multi-stop trip across Asia. You can spend a few days taking in the skyline, food and culture before continuing to some of the continent’s more off-the-beaten-track destinations by cruise.
“We’re seeing customers become increasingly open to holidays that give them more from a single trip. Rather than choosing between a city break or a cruise, they can combine the two and come home having experienced a real breadth of cultures across the region.
“There’s also a real value proposition to getting the different elements of a long-haul holiday together. When flights, accommodation and a cruise are packaged, it takes away some of the complexity of planning a multi-stop trip and can work out more cost-effective than trying to arrange each element separately.
“There’s less time spent organising transfers between different parts of the trip, and, unlike a more traditional backpacking-style holiday, travellers can unpack once and settle in, while still seeing much more. It also gives customers greater visibility over what they’re spending upfront, rather than having to factor in a host of additional costs as they go.”
Cruise Nation packages currently available demonstrate this trend, offering three nights in Hong Kong combined with a 14-night cruise through Thailand and Vietnam, from £2,709pp, while another pairs three nights in Hong Kong with a 14-night East Asia itinerary taking in Shanghai and Beijing, from £4,119pp.
Evans finishes: “With its incredible food, culture and city experiences, combined with the opportunity to explore more of Asia by cruise, if the current booking trends are anything to go by, Hong Kong has all the ingredients to feature much more prominently in holiday plans for 2027.”
(Hong Kong bookings soar by 31% as Brits look east for their next adventure)
