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Wynna Wong

This year’s Hong Kong Sevens is bigger and better, according to tourists visiting Kai Tak Sports Park for the first time, many of whom are long-haul travellers willing to splash tens of thousands of dollars in the city.
Hotels and restaurants also recorded a boost in business, driven by the major sports and arts events held this month.
Fijian Priti Singh, who was in Hong Kong for the first time, said on Friday the 50,000-seat stadium was “fantastic”.
“Everything is great – the atmosphere, excellent,” she told the Post on the opening day of the 2025 Hong Kong Sevens.
Also at the stadium were the Morgans couple, who were visiting Hong Kong for the third time from Wales, but attending the tournament for the first time.
“We picked this time to come here to come to see the Sevens,” said Sue Morgans, who have a brother living in the city.
The pair are staying with him during the trip, and said it “made sense” for them to extend their time in the city since the flight to Hong Kong was long.
They also revealed they were prepared to spend “thousands of [British] pounds” during their two-week stay in Hong Kong, which earlier included an excursion to neighbouring Macau.
And while they found the stadium “amazing”, Mitch Morgans felt it was “too corporate”.
“If you look, the corporate seats are a bit deserted, but those ends are full,” he said, pointing to the general audience stands.
“I hope it will be different tomorrow.”
Tourism insiders had previously said the Sevens was a major draw for tourists from around the world, especially long-haul visitors from places where rugby is popular such as Australia and New Zealand.

But, they added, an increasing number of mainland Chinese visitors were also drawn by the novelty of the games.
“I really love the atmosphere here,” said a 20-year-old student from Guangzhou, who only identified herself as Ting.
“It feels like I’ve gone abroad – there are so many foreigners here and everybody is so excited to party.”
Together with her boyfriend, also a student, Ting said they were staying at a four-star hotel for three nights in Kowloon at around HK$1,500 per day.
“We were prepared for the expensive accommodation, but the concession stands in here are pretty pricey too,” she said.
“But I suppose you feel like you’re supposed to buy a beer or two, so we paid anyway.”
Jason Taylor, a retiree from New Zealand and a repeat Sevens visitor, said the best part about the new stadium was the air conditioning.
“The cover is also a good addition because Hong Kong is so humid and rainy … this really helps,” he said.
Taylor was staying for five nights at a five-star hotel on Hong Kong Island, which he said had a “better party scene”.
“I don’t really have a budget – I will just spend what I will and have a good time,” he said.

Hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong were also enjoying an uptick in business, with some recording up to a 20 per cent increase in sales compared with previous years.
Dorsett Hospitality, which runs the brand new Dorsett Kai Tak next to Kai Tak Sports Park, said it expected a full house throughout the mega-events period of the Sevens and Art Basel over in Central, which was being held on the same days from Friday to Sunday.
“The distribution of tourists from different regions is influenced by the events and concerts held in Hong Kong,” a spokesman said.
“For example, during the Hong Kong Sevens and Art Basel, we see an increase in long-haul travellers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe, as they have a strong interest in these mega-events.”
He added the hotel had specifically come up with a “26-hour stay” promotion that allowed for flexible check-in and checkout times throughout the period.
“This flexibility is especially appealing to those attending early morning events or late-night performances, as it allows them to relax and recharge without the pressure of a traditional checkout time,” the spokesman said.
He added the hotel was looking forward to the potential pickup in business from the coming mega concerts to be held at the Kai Tak venue, which include British rock band Coldplay in April.
Similarly, Asian acts such as local singer Nicholas Tse Ting-fung, also in April, Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou in June, and JJ Lin in May, would be a big draw for short-haul travellers from the mainland and other parts of Asia, he added.


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Visitors say new Kai Tak Stadium enlivens the atmosphere while some businesses report up to 20 per cent increase in sales


Visitors say new Kai Tak Stadium enlivens the atmosphere while some businesses report up to 20 per cent increase in sales.


Hong Kong Sevens scores with fans, brings boost for hotels and restaurants

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Visitors say new Kai Tak Stadium enlivens the atmosphere while some businesses report up to 20 per cent increase in sales

Visitors say new Kai Tak Stadium enlivens the atmosphere while some businesses report up to 20 per cent increase in sales