Shorter Labor Day golden week favors Hong Kong

Some 800,000 mainland tourists are expected to visit Hong Kong during the upcoming Labor Day golden week from May 1, with up to 28,000 coming through 800 guided tours, says the Travel Industry Council.

With only a five-day holiday in the mainland this year, short-haul travel is more popular and Hong Kong will be one of the top destinations, said council executive director Fanny Yeung Shuk-fan.

She estimated that the peak period for arrivals will be the first two days.

"There will be about 220 tour groups per day, a few more than average, but there will be an average of only 160 groups per day after that," Yeung said.

Visitors from Qingdao and Xi'an are estimated to increase by 50 percent during golden week as Hong Kong opened individual visits to these two cities in March.

Yeung said the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau convened an interdepartmental meeting yesterday for authorities and tourism bodies to start preparations to ensure that travelers enjoy their stay.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board will hold its first pyrotechnic show over Victoria Harbour on May 1.

It said it has no estimated budget for the fireworks and drone performances, but added it welcomes exploring cooperation opportunities with interested groups.

To promote tourism, Hollywood actor Henry Golding, Japanese actor Satoh Takeru and South Korean actor Jeong Hae In have been invited to visit popular spots and cultural treasures and have a taste of local food while filming travelogs to share with their global fans, the board said.

Over 350 internet celebrities visited Hong Kong last year, with one having over 30 million followers.

To promote Mong Kok, the board has arranged a group of Little Red Book bloggers to walk through Temple Street, which blends "tradition" and "fresh elements" and showcases Hong Kong's unique fusion of old and new.

It invited the influencers to film over 330 short videos, including experiencing urban oasis and other tourism experiences.

The videos have been played on over 3,000 platforms globally, reaching an audience of 200 million worldwide.

marcus.lum@singtaonewscorp.com