Holiday fever amid race for yen

Ayra Wang

A staggering 400,000 Hongkongers embarked on outbound journeys on Saturday, with 313,000 of them going to the mainland,the highest recorded in the first three months of this year.

Also the number of departures from the airport saw a 55 percent rise over a week ago, hitting 41,000.

In contrast, the influx of tourist arrivals the same day was 170,000. Over 136,000 of them came from the mainland, or just 40 percent of the number of Hongkongers going the other way.

With the four-day Easter weekend commencing Friday, locals flocked to foreign currency shops in Sheung Wan to get yen for trips to Japan.

Among those seeking a more favorable exchange rate was Wong Tai Sin resident Tam, who visited a forex shop in Sheung Wan twice on Saturday.

Tam had been closely monitoring the yen rate and got 200,000 yen (HK$10,330) for a five-day trip to Japan with her family.

Another local, Au-yeung, is planning an eight-day journey with his girlfriend. Having visited Japan twice before, he is setting aside HK$20,000 for their trip.

"I love the place due to its high cost-effectiveness as a destination. Things are very affordable in Japan," he said.

Sham, from Tsuen Wan, was also buying yen for a five-day trip.

Apart from Japan and South Korea, many are considering the high-speed railway as an alternative mode of transportation during the Easter holiday, particularly to see cherry blossoms.

Wing On Travel deputy general manager Simon Ma Sai-man said the number of tour groups for the Easter holiday had recovered to only 70 percent of prepandemic levels.

"This is primarily due to restricted capacity on airlines and a manpower shortage in the tourism sector," he said.

While agencies previously organized chartered flights to facilitate group travel during the peak Easter season, many airlines are now unable to provide such a service.

There has been a significant increase in the number of people going for high-speed rail tours, with Ma saying Wuhan and Zhangjiajie, a renowned scenic spot in Hunan,as the most popular destinations. "Despite the longer travel time, passengers are drawn to the high-speed rail experience, which allows them to enjoy internet connectivity and picturesque views en route," he said.

Yuen Chun-ning, executive director of travel agency WWPKG, too cited an increase in high-speed rail tours among Hongkongers.

Although Japan remains the preferred choice for most travelers, the cost-effectiveness of mainland tours has attracted considerable attention.

Also, Hongkongers are increasingly considering Taiwan as an option for floral sightseeing due to frequent flights and relatively affordable airfare, according to Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association.