Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui expressed optimism about the Chinese New Year tourism market, noting that the longer interval between the Chinese New Year and the Christmas holidays has boosted outbound tourists' willingness to travel, along with the nine-day holiday in mainland China.
Speaking on a television program on Sunday, Law noted that hotel bookings have increased following the announcement of the fireworks display, as many tourists choose to stay in the city for the show.
She added that for eco-tourism spots such as country trails, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has halted staff vacations and deployed additional personnel for on-site cleaning and management. Authorities will proactively release visitor flow updates for relevant attractions and enhance publicity and education efforts.
Regarding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' advisory for citizens to avoid travel to Japan, Law stated that geopolitical factors, national policies and recent heavy snowstorms in parts of Japan are expected to bring certain benefits to Hong Kong's tourism sector as tourists might opt to visit the city instead.
Law also expressed confidence that Hong Kong's visitor arrivals will surpass 50 million this year, citing the increase in events such as the Hong Kong Cyclothon, potential marathon expansion, and efforts to secure more major sporting events including tennis tournaments.
She revealed that numerous A-list artists are keen to stage New Year's Eve concerts in the city, reaffirming that hotel room supply will continue to grow in the years ahead.
