Traditional Mid-Autumn Festival events and a short working gap before National Week have attracted many mainland visitors to Hong Kong early, boosting the local tourism industry, Travel Industry Council chairman Tommy Tam Kwong-shun said.
Speaking on a radio program on Monday, Tam said mainland residents could enjoy a 13-day "super golden week" holiday by taking three days of leave from Monday to Wednesday.
The steady economic recovery on the mainland has stimulated spending on overseas travel, while local traditional spectacles such as the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and the International Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival in Victoria Park have proven highly attractive to tourists.
Many mainland visitors chose to travel during off-peak periods, arriving in Hong Kong ahead of National Day, Tam said. He noted that the visitor numbers over the Mid-Autumn Festival were encouraging and said he expected some travelers to proceed to other cities in the Greater Bay Area afterward.
During the National Day Golden Week from October 1 to 7, many mainland tourists are expected to make day trips, while overnight visitors will account for more than 50 percent of the total, Tam estimated.
Tour groups generally stay for two to three nights. Despite a double-digit percentage increase in hotel room rates this year, bookings for October 1 to 3 are nearly full, which he described as ideal.
The catering sector and retail businesses selling cosmetics and electronic products are expected to benefit during Golden Week, creating an optimistic outlook for overall consumer sentiment.
Addressing recent cases where travel agencies and tour guides had their licenses revoked for allegedly forcing tourists to shop, Tam said the enforcement actions demonstrated strict regulation by the Travel Industry Authority, which helped bolster tourist confidence and would create a positive long-term effect.
