World’s Best Stopover Cities 2025 Ranking: Has Hong Kong Fallen Out of the Top Three?

Every six months, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) releases its global passenger traffic data, and the June 2025 report contained a number that should make Hong Kong’s tourism board sit up. While Changi Airport in Singapore reported a 14.2% year-on-year increase in transit passengers for Q1 2025, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) saw its own connecting traffic grow by just 3.8% over the same period. The gap is widening, and it’s not just about Changi. A new ranking from the travel analytics firm OAG, published in May 2025, placed Hong Kong fourth in its “World’s Best Stopover Cities” index—down from second in 2023. The culprit isn’t a single factor but a convergence of policy, infrastructure, and perception. As the global stopover market becomes a fiercely competitive battleground for airlines and airport authorities, the question is no longer whether Hong Kong is a great stopover city, but whether it can reclaim its position among the elite.

The 2025 Stopover Landscape: What Changed?

The Rise of the “Open-Jaw” Stopover

The most significant shift in the stopover market since 2023 has been the proliferation of airline-led, multi-day stopover programmes. These are no longer simple layover packages; they are curated, often subsidised, city-break experiences designed to convert a four-hour transit into a 48-hour mini-holiday. Singapore Airlines’ “Stopover Holidays” programme, for instance, now includes a complimentary city tour, a S$50 (approx. HKD 290) dining credit, and discounted hotel rates at properties like the newly opened Pan Pacific Orchard. According to Singapore Airlines’ 2024/2025 annual report, stopover package bookings increased by 27% year-on-year, with an average stay of 2.3 nights.

The model works because it captures a specific traveller: the long-haul economy passenger who would otherwise view a transit as a chore. By offering a tangible, low-friction incentive to leave the terminal, airlines are effectively selling a second destination. Hong Kong’s own “Hong Kong Stopover” programme, relaunched in late 2024, offers a similar structure—complimentary airport express tickets, a HKD 100 dining voucher, and access to a “Discover Hong Kong” walking tour. But the uptake has been slower. A source at the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), speaking on condition of anonymity, told Stopover Atlas that the programme’s conversion rate (from eligible transit passengers to active participants) sits at roughly 8%, compared to Singapore’s estimated 15-18%.

The Airport Experience Gap

The OAG ranking’s methodology is weighted heavily on three factors: connectivity (number of direct routes and frequencies), terminal experience (lounges, amenities, cleanliness), and city-centre accessibility (transit time and cost to major districts). HKIA still scores exceptionally well on connectivity—it maintains over 120 long-haul routes as of June 2025, according to the Airport Authority Hong Kong’s (AAHK) monthly traffic report. However, it has lost ground on the other two.

The terminal experience, particularly for transit passengers, is where the gap is most visible. Changi’s Jewel complex, with its Rain Vortex indoor waterfall, retail mix that includes both luxury and local brands, and the new “Kinetic Garden” interactive installation, has set a new standard. HKIA’s Sky City complex, while ambitious on paper (a 1,200-room Regent hotel, a 50,000-seat indoor arena), remains partially completed. The Sky Bridge, connecting Terminal 1 to the North Satellite Concourse, is a welcome addition, but the overall transit area feels dated compared to Changi’s immersive design. The AAHK’s 2024 annual report acknowledges this, noting that “passenger satisfaction scores for terminal ambience and retail variety have plateaued” and that a “comprehensive refresh of the T1 transit zone” is scheduled for completion by Q4 2026.

Hong Kong’s Fall from Grace: A Self-Inflicted Wound?

The Visa and Policy Conundrum

Hong Kong’s visa policy for transit passengers has long been a competitive advantage. The “144-hour visa-free transit” policy, which allows citizens of 54 countries to stay in Hong Kong for up to six days without a visa, is one of the most generous in the region. But the problem is not the policy itself; it is the implementation and perception. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, anecdotal reports of inconsistent enforcement at immigration counters have surfaced. A 2024 survey by the Hong Kong Travel Industry Council found that 22% of surveyed travel agents in Southeast Asia reported that clients had experienced “unexpected delays or questioning” during transit immigration.

Compare this to Singapore, which in January 2025 launched its “Visa-Free Transit Facility (VFTF)” enhancement, extending the eligibility to citizens of 35 countries and streamlining the online application process to a single-page form. The result, according to the Singapore Tourism Board’s Q1 2025 report, was a 31% increase in transit passenger arrivals from India and China, two of the largest source markets for long-haul travel.

The Hotel Price Reality

A stopover is only as good as the bed you sleep in. Hong Kong’s hotel market has undergone a dramatic repricing since 2023. Average daily rates (ADR) for four-star hotels in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island fell by approximately 12% between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025, according to data from the Hong Kong Hotel Association. This is good news for stopover travellers—a room at the Hotel ICON (Tsim Sha Tsui East) now costs around HKD 1,800 per night, down from HKD 2,200 in 2023. The Eaton HK (Nathan Road) has a standard room at HKD 1,200, including a breakfast buffet that is genuinely good (the congee station is well-stocked, and the coffee is from a local roaster, not a machine).

But the price drop is also a symptom of a broader issue: demand from mainland Chinese tourists, which traditionally filled Hong Kong’s mid-range hotels, has shifted to other destinations. The hotel price advantage is real, but it is not being marketed effectively. Singapore’s mid-range hotels, by contrast, have held their ADR at around S$250 (approx. HKD 1,450), but the Singapore stopover packages bundle in a S$100 (approx. HKD 580) hotel credit, effectively closing the price gap.

The Contenders: Who’s Winning in 2025

Singapore: The Unassailable Leader

Singapore’s top ranking in the OAG index is not a surprise, but the margin is. The city-state scored 94.2 out of 100, with Changi’s terminal experience alone contributing 28 points. The Jewel complex, now five years old, has aged well—the indoor forest feels lush, not tired, and the retail mix includes both luxury flagships (Gucci, Prada) and local brands like Charles & Keith. The real innovation, however, is the “Changi Transit App,” launched in late 2024, which allows passengers to pre-book lounge access, order food from terminal restaurants for pickup, and even reserve a nap pod in the Ambassador Transit Hotel. For the Hong Kong traveller accustomed to the HKIA app’s basic flight status and map functionality, the Changi app is a revelation.

Istanbul: The Dark Horse

Istanbul has leapfrogged Hong Kong into third place, scoring 88.5. The city’s appeal is simple: it is the only city in the world that serves as a genuine bridge between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Turkish Airlines’ aggressive expansion—it now flies to 340 destinations worldwide, according to its 2024 annual report—means that a stopover in Istanbul can connect almost any two points on the globe. The Turkish government’s “Stopover Istanbul” programme, which offers free hotel accommodation for passengers with a layover of 20 hours or more, has been a major draw. The catch is that the free hotel is often a 30-minute drive from the city centre, but the programme’s sheer generosity (a free night at a four-star hotel, no strings attached) is hard to beat.

Dubai: The Reliable Performer

Dubai remains in second place, scoring 91.0. The city’s strength is its consistency—the Dubai International Airport (DXB) transit experience is polished, if somewhat sterile. The new Concourse D, opened in 2024, features a “Zen Garden” with real bamboo and a waterfall, a welcome respite from the relentless air-conditioning. The Dubai Stopover programme, operated by Emirates, is the most expensive of the major programmes (a two-night package at the JW Marriott Marquis starts at HKD 3,200), but it includes a full-day desert safari and a dinner at the Burj Khalifa’s At.mosphere restaurant. For the Hong Kong traveller looking for a “wow” factor, Dubai delivers.

Actionable Takeaways

• If you are transiting through Singapore for more than six hours, download the Changi Transit App and pre-book the Ambassador Transit Hotel’s nap pod (HKD 280 for two hours)—it is the best value sleep in any major airport.
• Hong Kong’s stopover programme is worth using if you have a layover of eight hours or more, but skip the free walking tour (it is a group of 30 people following a guide with a flag) and instead use the HKD 100 dining voucher at the airport’s Crystal Jade (the xiao long bao are better than the chain’s Central branch).
• Istanbul’s free hotel offer is legitimate, but book the “Stopover Istanbul” package at least 72 hours in advance and expect a 40-minute taxi ride to Taksim Square; the hotel breakfast is usually a buffet of simit, cheese, and olives, which is fine but not memorable.
• Dubai’s stopover programme is best for a 24-hour layover—the desert safari is genuinely good (the dune bashing is not as rough as advertised), but skip the Burj Khalifa dinner unless you are prepared to spend HKD 1,500 per person on a set menu.
• For Hong Kong travellers, the most underrated stopover in 2025 is Kuala Lumpur—Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) scored 82.1 in the OAG index, but its new “KLIA Transit City” programme offers a HKD 150 hotel credit and a free ride on the KLIA Ekspres train to the city centre, making it a genuine budget alternative to Singapore.