So many more visit, but spending remains weak

Henry Siu

The tourism sector is rejoicing as more than 1.1 million mainland tourists visited Hong Kong during the National Day Golden Week, representing a remarkable 24 percent increase from last year.

Gianna Hsu Wong Mei-lun, chair of the Travel Industry Council, expressed delight at the number of overnight visitors - which comprised 70 percent of the tourists, compared to about 50 percent last year.

As for tour groups "we initially estimated around 850, but by Sunday morning, that number had exceeded 1,100," Hsu said.

The retail sector, however, reported that the spending power of visitors remained weak.

Annie Tse Yau On-yee, chair of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, said: "Despite the growth in visitor numbers, tourists' spending power has diminished compared to previous years."

She expressed hope for more collaboration with the travel industry to promote experiential shopping.

As the seven-day holiday wrapped up, tens of thousands of tourists flocked to Hong Kong International Airport to return home.

Huangfu from Shanghai, who was in Hong Kong for the first time, said: "We mainly took photos, and the sights surpassed our expectations. The sea view at Kennedy Town promenade was stunning."

She and her friends spent about HK$10,000 during their trip, mostly on accommodation, and an additional HK$1,000 on souvenirs at theme parks.

Wu, from Jiangsu, celebrated her birthday with a six-day trip with her boyfriend. She said: "I visited Hong Kong with a tour group in high school, but this time we explored lesser-known attractions."

In an article published on Sunday, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office announced that more policies benefiting the city will be introduced.

The central government has already implemented several initiatives, including the individual visit scheme, an increase in duty-free allowances for mainland travelers, and the gifting of a pair of giant pandas.

henry.siu@singtaonewscorp.com