The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, December 17 chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements to holistically co-ordinate and steer the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the New Year's Eve and New Year holiday. 

After meeting, Mr Chan announced the New Year's Eve countdown event this year will forgo the fireworks display and take place in an alternative format to welcome the New Year together with the public and visitors. (details: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202512/17/P2025121700719.htm?fontSize=1)

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced that the New Year countdown event on December 31, 2025, will take place at the Chater Road pedestrian zone in Central, replacing fireworks display at Victoria Harbour. Through this event, the HKTB hopes to convey positive energy, care, and blessings of peace to both locals and visitors, and to welcome a hopeful new year together. Details and event arrangements will be announced in due course. (https://www.discoverhongkong.com/content/dam/dhk/intl/corporate/newsroom/press-release/hktb/2025/12-HKTB-NYCD-Announcement-E.pdf)

Information dissemination

The HKTB has listed festive event arrangements for the Christmas and New Year holiday on its dedicated webpage (webpage will be online when near the time). Before the New Year holiday, the HKTB will provide the waiting time at major attractions in Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park Hong Kong, the Peak Tram, Ngong Ping 360, and Hong Kong Observation Wheel, as well as the Star Ferry, a popular choice for many visitors, the information will be on their webpage to help the local public and visitors plan their itineraries.

 Residents and visitors may also visit "Easy Boundary" (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound), a one-stop information platform on immigration clearance launched by the Security Bureau, to obtain useful information in one go, including the respective average waiting time for passengers and private cars at land BCPs, as well as for the Gold Bus and Yellow Bus to plan their trips and save waiting time.