1,600 mainland tour groups celebrate LNY in HK

Eunice Lam

About 1,600 mainland tour groups had visited Hong Kong during the first five days of the Lunar New Year holiday, bringing in more than 58,000 tourists, Travel Industry Authority chairman Ma Ho-fai said.

In a television interview, Ma said yesterday that he anticipated around 2,000 tour groups would arrive during the eight-day holiday that ends tomorrow, accounting for 5 percent of total inbound travelers.

These figures represent a significant increase compared to the 2018 Lunar New Year holiday.

Ma attributed the surge in tourism to the resumption of travel after the pandemic, the prohibition of coerced shopping trips and a wider variety of dining and tour options that have enticed numerous mainland visitors to explore the city's attractions.

Meanwhile, Ma expressed condolences to the family of a tour guide who was killed in a traffic accident last Friday.

The guide, from Miramar Travel, was fatally injured near Shanghai Pudong International Airport after being thrown from a tour coach.

Ma revealed yesterday that the 16 tour group members on the bus were largely unscathed but were left in a state of shock following the incident.

"The authority will contact them later to understand the incident when they are calmer," Ma said.

Questioned about the safety of tour guides, Ma refrained from speculating on the cause of the accident, emphasizing that the authority lacked complete details, including whether the tour guide had been standing inside the vehicle at the time.

He stressed that the authority placed great importance on tour guides' safety and he believed that licensed guides received adequate training. However, he added that a review of training protocols might be necessary.

The accident occurred when the tour coach lost control and collided with a road barrier while en route to Shanghai Pudong International Airport for their return to Hong Kong.

Two group members sustained minor injuries.

All 16 members returned to Hong Kong on Friday evening.