Mainlanders' travel habits clue to holiday border setup

Mainland visitors do not commonly stay in Hong Kong overnight so the government should have prepared for crowds returning north after the fireworks display on New Year's Day, lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon said.

She said statistics in November last year showed only half of the over 3.2 million tourists to Hong Kong stayed overnight.

"Among the 1.6 million one-day visitors who did not stay overnight, 85 percent were from the mainland," Kong said.

"It seems to be the norm that mainlanders do not want to stay overnight. It's not a new trend and we should have expected that.

"Visitors only stayed in Hong Kong for a few hours to take photos, have a meal and buy some souvenirs. If we cannot lure them to stay for another day by hosting large events, we should think about other ways to retain them instead of how to send them home," she said.

Kong suggested that authorities could arrange activities spanning two to three days while offering hotel discounts.

Her remarks came as Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said the government will speed up negotiations with the mainland on extending the operating hours of the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau ports.

Lam said the two ports connected by MTR can effectively allow tourists to return to the mainland, easing the crowds in urban areas.

The government will also consider extending the opening hours of high-speed rail services, but the East Rail Line service to Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau ports will still be the major means for travelers, Lam said.

"The East Rail Line connects to Admiralty and Tsim Sha Tsui and has many stops in urban areas, meaning it can ease the crowds in the city," Lam said.

"And it is also more effective than the West Kowloon high-speed rail station," he added.

Asked whether the new arrangement can be implemented by next month's Lunar New Year, Lam said Hong Kong alone cannot make the decision on border arrangements and the SAR will expedite discussions with mainland authorities.

Meanwhile, China Hong Kong and Macau Boundary Crossing Bus Association secretary general Kenneth Li Siu-ming said the sector can get ready to carry a large number of tourists with only two to three days of preparation in advance.

"We may need to work in the early mornings - which is outside of our normal operating hours - so we have to make arrangements two to three days in advance," he said.

Hong Kong Tourism Association executive director Timothy Chui Ting-pong also welcomed the extension of opening hours of the ports, saying it will benefit both Hongkongers and mainlanders.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com