The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced the latest visitor figures yesterday (Aug. 15), with preliminary data showing 4.39 million visitor arrivals in Hong Kong last month, a 12% increase compared to the same period last year.
Cumulatively, from January to July this year, there were approximately 28.03 million visitor arrivals, also a 12% year-on-year increase. In addition to a 12% growth in mainland visitors, short-haul and long-haul visitors also showed strong growth, both increasing by 18%.
Lam Chi-ting, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Industry Employees' General Union, believes that the SAR government's active efforts to secure more major events for Hong Kong—such as various international conferences and world-class football matches held in the city this year, along with the opening of the airport's third runway—have attracted more mainland and overseas visitors. Many long-haul travelers, he noted, are also using Hong Kong as a stopover for "multi-destination" trips to the mainland.
Lam hopes HKTB and other agencies will continue to enhance promotional efforts to sustain this growth momentum.
The latest data from HKTB shows that from January to July this year, there were approximately 28.03 million visitor arrivals, a 12% year-on-year increase, recovering to over 90% of the pre-2018 levels (before the black-clad violence and the COVID-19 pandemic). In July alone, there were 4.39 million visitor arrivals, nearly 80% of whom were from the mainland, totaling 3.51 million, a 12% year-on-year increase. The cumulative number of mainland visitors in the first seven months of the year was approximately 21.3 million, also a 10% year-on-year rise.
Long-haul visitors up 21% year-on-year
For non-mainland visitors, the first seven months of the year saw 6.72 million arrivals, a 16% year-on-year increase, with short-haul and long-haul visitors accounting for 3.72 million and 1.93 million respectively, both growing by 18%. In July alone, visitor arrivals from short-haul markets increased by 12% year-on-year, with Japan and Taiwan performing particularly well. Long-haul market visitor arrivals surged by 21% year-on-year last month, driven mainly by travelers from the UK, US, Australia, France, and Germany.
The visitor figures for individual markets in July will be released by the end of the month. According to earlier statistics from HKTB, Japanese visitor arrivals in May and June this year grew by over 30%, while Philippine visitors in May increased by more than 50%. For long-haul markets, Germany and Australia saw visitor growth of over 20% in June, with Australian visitors in May rising by nearly 40%.
Lam said that the SAR government has been actively promoting conference and event-driven economies with notable success. For instance, this year has seen numerous large-scale conferences held in Hong Kong, as well as multiple concerts at various venues. After the offical opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park, British rock band Coldplay performed in Hong Kong, and several international football matches have been held, such as the recent "Hong Kong Football Festival" featuring Liverpool vs. AC Milan and Arsenal vs. Tottenham. Next week, the Saudi Super Cup will also take place in Hong Kong, attracting visitors from around the world, including long-haul travelers from Europe and the US.
Third runway boosts capacity, aiding visitor growth
At the same time, the opening of the airport's third runway and the restoration of airline capacity have contributed to the increase in visitors.
"After the third runway opened, it became more convenient for both foreign and mainland travelers to come to Hong Kong. Coupled with the visa-free policies for many countries, this has attracted many people to visit the mainland via Hong Kong—what we call 'multi-destination' travel. Hong Kong's convenient air transport, enhanced by the increased flight capacity from the third runway, allows visitors to spend a couple of days here before heading to the mainland. Additionally, the mainland's high-speed rail is a 'calling card,' with many travelers eager to experience it. Since Hong Kong offers easy access to high-speed rail for mainland travel, this also helps boost visitor numbers."
Lam suggested that the SAR government should strive to attract more renowned singers and bands to hold concerts in Hong Kong, continue organizing international conferences and major events, and collaborate with the mainland to promote "multi-destination" tourism to maintain the growth momentum in visitor arrivals.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Liu Ming; English Editor: Darius)
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