Insiders bullish on Hong Kong tourism

With diverse festive celebrations and newly added facilities, insiders expressed optimism regarding the outlook of Hong Kong's tourism-related industries during the National Day golden week.

To further enhance the city's attraction, they suggested the special administrative region launch more events catering to tourists, increase packages and joint activities covering various sectors, and improve services and transportation arrangements for iconic events.

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said restaurant businesses saw a 10-15 percent decrease in sales during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday compared to last year. Average spending of Chinese mainland tourists in Hong Kong also dropped by around 20 percent during the holiday.

Samuel Xia Yongping, head of the Greater Bay Area department of China International Travel Service Shenzhen, said the number of tourist groups from his company visiting Hong Kong during the holiday was approximately 20 percent lower than last year and he attributed the drop to the high base achieved during the joint eight-day holiday of Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day last year.

Yet Wong maintained a positive outlook on prospects for the seven-day National Day holiday from Oct 1, highlighting the impact of the government's introduction of over 400 activities to help boost retail and dining businesses.

Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said he observed that more than half of the high-speed rail tickets from Shenzhen, Guangdong province to Hong Kong on Oct 1 had sold out.

Looking ahead, Chui suggests the city keep enhancing existing travel products and services, especially those showcasing the city's rich history and culture.

Wong said the government should launch more large-scale events that engage the entire city, rather than only feature specific regions or groups.

The relatively expensive costs of hotels and other services, Xia said, are also affecting the SAR's appeal to Chinese mainland tourists. Efforts to this end should be made to facilitate tourism services.

Hong Kong welcomed over 29.5 million visitors in the first eight months of this year, a 43.7 percent surge year-on-year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) said on Wednesday.

August alone saw nearly 4.5 million arrivals, up 9.2 percent from the corresponding period in 2023, with half of them opting to stay in the city overnight, the board said.

The number of visitors from the Chinese mainland accounted for 22.94 million, reflecting a 38.9 percent year-on-year surge. Visitors from other places numbered 6.58 million, a 63.5 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

Among the upcoming National Day festivities in the SAR, a horse-themed drone show — featuring Hong Kong scenes and Chinese ink horse paintings by artist Xu Beihong — will take place above Wan Chai on Saturday.

From Saturday to Nov 30, over 750 merchants in Yau Tsim Mong District will offer 25 percent discounts on goods and dining.

Hong Kong welcomed 34 million visitors in 2023 and the HKTB projects that the city will record a total of 46 million visitors this year, a 40 percent year-on-year surge.