Hong Kong’s Doraemon extravaganza pulled in more than 5 million people and boosted food and drink takings by 30 per cent at the shopping centre venue for the exhibition devoted to the time-travelling robot cat cartoon series.
Industry experts added on Sunday that July notched up the highest number of mainland Chinese tour groups this year and that the exhibition at K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui and on the nearby Avenue of Stars had helped attract extra people to the area, including tourists, and boosted the economy.
The organiser of the “100% Doraemon & Friends Tour” installation in the shopping centre also arranged four extra “meet-and-greet” sessions for fans on Sunday, complete with the comic character’s mascots, on the last day of the free exhibition.
“Character mascots are out today to thank visitors for their support,” said Lam Shu-kam, the founder of design studio AllRightsReserved, which organised the exhibition.
“All exhibition areas – including the Avenue of Stars and the shopping centre – have welcomed 5 million visitors.
“We realise that many visitors wanted to get up close with the mascots for a photo opportunity, which is why we have arranged for four extra sessions even in the heat today,” he said, with temperatures hitting 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Lam also announced the sale of spare time slots on August 16 for the exhibition, at first reserved as backups in case of a typhoon, and highlighted there had been average spending of HK$1,000 (US$128) per visit at the exhibition’s souvenir shop.
Doraemon was created by Japanese manga master Fujuko F. Fujio, who died in 1996.
The cartoon character was launched in 1969 and went on to become a global phenomenon.
Gianna Hsu Wong Mei-lun, the chairwoman of the Travel Industry Council, said the exhibition was a major driver of business and footfall in the area and that it had helped attract tourists.
She said the city had logged 6,450 mainland tour groups in July, the highest monthly figure this year, and 1,000 in the first four days of August.
“A Tourism Board survey in May showed that the top destination for visitors in Hong Kong, including tour groups, is the Avenue of Stars, not least because of the beautiful Victoria Harbour and the Symphony of Lights,” Hsu said.
“Whenever there were events near the harbour at night, such as the two drone shows that were organised in conjunction with the Doraemon exhibition, there would be an increase in business and foot traffic in the area, so we hope for more similar events in the future.”
Horace Lam, a senior vice-president at retail giant K11 Concepts, said K11 Musea had an almost 40 per cent surge in footfall year on year because of the exhibition, which also achieved a record for the highest single-day footfall in 2024.
“With the exhibition, 50 per cent of footfall and revenue were from tourists,” Lam said. “There was an increase of 30 per cent in sales in food and beverage as well as retail.
“The installation was particularly popular among our family and child clients.”
Janice Mak, general manager of restaurant group Gaia which has more than a dozen restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui, many of them at K11 Musea, said the company had recorded a 30 per cent revenue increase over the event.
“The exhibition generated a large and stable flow of traffic in the mall, which turned into business as they dined at our establishments, and they would spend anywhere between HK$100 and HK$500 on average,” she added.
Mak said that 30 per cent of customers over the exhibition period were Hongkongers, with the rest tourists, largely made up of mainlanders, followed by visitors from Southeast Asia.
Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, the founder of K11 Group, agreed the show not only attracted a large number of tourists and residents but also boosted sales.
“It has demonstrated the substantial economic benefits brought by cultural intellectual property exchange and has become a perfect example of what mega events can generate for the city,” he said.
Chloe Poon visited the Doraemon exhibition, which ran from July 13 until Sunday, with her younger brother and mother Fiona Lam, who is in her thirties.
The Primary Four pupil said that she had loved the gadget-equipped cat since she was little, and was a huge fan of the cartoons and the comic books.
“My favourite gadget of Doraemon’s is the ‘Anywhere Door’ which could teleport me anywhere I want,” Poon said.
She added the transporter would be useful to cut down commuting time between school and her tutorial and hobby classes.
“I am looking to take the children to the cafe that serves a special Doraemon set after we’ve seen the exhibition for a complete experience, and might also have a browse of the souvenirs,” her mother said.
The show featured a ticketed exhibition at K11 Musea that included an exclusive screening of an animated short film featuring Takeshi Goda, a main character from the series known for his poor singing, who performed a concert in Hong Kong.
The event also included free entry zones on the Avenue of Stars and the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront, which displayed the world’s tallest inflatable Doraemon at 12 metres (39 feet) tall, alongside other models of the character and his friends.
