Over 1.2 mn mainland tourists visit HK during National Day 'Golden Week'
The Mainland's National Day holiday has come to an end. As of 9 pm Monday (Oct. 7), the number of Mainland visitors to Hong Kong for the seven days exceeded 1.206 million, which is in line with the Immigration Department's expectation.
Some members of the tourism industry said that the market atmosphere during the National Day "Golden Week" had obviously improved, with both business and financial prosperity. However, with the change in travel patterns of visitors, it is expected that the government will assist the industry in creating more in-depth and experiential tourism products, so as to attract more overnight stays by tourists.
However, some members of the travel trade consider that the distribution of tourists is more concentrated and some places such as Sai Kung and Sha Tau Kok are relatively quiet, and expect the government to step up publicity.
Overnight visitors account for more than 70% of the total number of tourists
Visitor arrivals continue to grow. As of 9 pm last night, a total of 1.37 million people visited Hong Kong during the seven-day National Day holiday, of which more than 1.2 million were from the Mainland, an increase of more than 38% compared with the same period last year.
The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong's executive director, Fanny Yeung Shuk-fan, said that there were 1,100 tours during the National Day holiday, which was more than the original estimate of 850 tours. The proportion of overnight visitors has also increased from about 50% last year to more than 70% this year, and the trade is pleasantly surprised by the business.
Perry Yiu Pak-leung, a member of the Legislative Council from the tourism sector, said that more than 1.2 million mainland visitors entered Hong Kong during the National Day "Golden Week" this year, which is a promising figure that has reached the upper limit of the trade's forecast. Benefiting from the measures taken by the central government and the recent rebound of the stock market, Hong Kong has had an obvious stimulating effect on the overall economy, and overall consumer sentiment has improved significantly.
He mentioned that tourists now emphasize on travel experience, and the industry needs to change its strategy to attract more overnight visitors. He hoped that the government will support the industry to create more in-depth tour products and experiencing products through high-level inter-departmental collaboration.
"Golden Week" sees sharp growth in Mainland visitors to Hong Kong
Jason Wong Chun-tat, executive director of Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, described that the seven-day National Day "Golden Week" saw many visitors visiting and spending money at traditional tourist spots such as Tsim Sha Tsui and the Avenue of Stars. However, he admitted that merchants at some tourist spots reflected that there were not enough tourists during the "Golden Week", including Sai Kung and Sha Tau Kok, etc. He hoped that the government will step up its promotional efforts on social media.
Jason Wong said that the recent economic measures in the Mainland have had a certain effect on stimulating national consumption and desire to travel, and the different measures introduced by Hong Kong to attract tourists have been effective, with a substantial increase in the number of Mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong this year.
He said the travel pattern of mainland visitors has changed, and some non-traditional tourist spots or emerging places with local characteristics, such as the old district of Sai Ying Pun and the Sai Wan waterfront, are very popular among young mainlanders. These emerging spots are still room for enhancing tourist-specific facilities, such as toilets and commercial facilities for food and beverage, to enrich the experience of tourists.
Related News:
Comment