Visitors bounce back to 84pc of prepandemic level

More than 20 million tourists visited Hong Kong in the first eight months of this year, the Tourism Board said, as visitor arrivals returned to 84 percent of the prepandemic level with 4.1 million tourists arriving last month alone.

Among the 20 million tourists the SAR received, over 16 million visitors came from the mainland. Of the four million visitors from the rest of the world, over 1.9 million were short-haul visitors from places around Southeast Asia, while about 1 million visitors came from the long-haul market. Hong Kong also saw over 180,000 visitors from new markets including India, Russia, Vietnam, the Netherlands and Gulf countries.

Hong Kong saw about 4.1 million visitors last month, a 14 percent increase from over 2.9 million visitors in July, and the figure is equivalent to 84 percent of the prepandemic level, which the board believes was due to the peak summer holidays.

Of the visitor arrivals last month, over 3.4 million were from the mainland, while the rest of the 643,000 travelers were from other countries and regions, including 312,000 people from short-haul markets and over 165,000 travelers from long-haul destinations.

"Overall, Hong Kong's tourism industry is recovering at a steady and gradual pace," the board said yesterday.

"However, factors such as currency exchange rates, airline capacity and the global economic outlook will continue to affect the actual pace of the recovery," it added.

The board said it plans to organize a series of flagship events in the coming months, including evening mega events, such as the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, Hong Kong WinterFest and Hong Kong New Year countdown celebrations to "create a city-wide festive ambiance and entice participation of both visitors and the public."

Meanwhile, the government will kick off the "Night Vibes Hong Kong" campaign today to boost the night economy and usher in a dynamic vibe by encouraging Hongkongers to go out and enjoy the nightlife.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will officiate the campaign in a ceremony at the Grand Stair at M+ Museum in West Kowloon Cultural District at 6.30pm today.

While the Grand Stair was closed for rehearsals yesterday, few stalls were being set up along the corridor ahead of the celebrations.

The administration will also hold a press conference tomorrow to announce the details of the National Day Fireworks Display on October 1, after a five-year hiatus.

Earlier, some lawmakers cited deputy financial secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun as saying that a series of events will be launched in phases until next year under the "Night Vibes Hong Kong" campaign.

Sources said the first phase of measures will be launched at the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday weekend, including extending business hours at malls, discounted or free movie tickets and public transport evening fare discounts.

It is understood that authorities are also considering setting up stalls along the harbor-front promenades selling food and beverages.