Visitors to Hong Kong Book Fair drop by 10% as typhoon puts dampener on event

The number of visitors to the latest edition of the Hong Kong Book Fair fell by about 10 per cent from last year, after the annual cultural event was forced to take a pause when Typhoon Wipha hit the city.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council on Tuesday announced the wrap-up of the seven-day fair. It said the event, alongside the Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks fair, which were all held at the same time, managed to attract 890,000 visitors.

The figure represented a drop of about 10 per cent from the 990,000 recorded in 2024.

“The enthusiasm of book lovers remained undiminished despite the typhoon on Sunday,” said Sophia Chong Suk-fan, the council’s deputy executive director.

“Many seized the time before and after the typhoon to visit and immerse themselves in this cultural and leisure extravaganza, with a robust turnout.”

The organiser was forced to suspend the event for the whole day on Sunday, when Wipha’s approach prompted the city to issue a No 10 hurricane signal – its highest typhoon warning.