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More than 10 million tourists visited Hong Kong in the first five months of the year, the Tourism Board said, with almost 80 percent of them being mainland visitors.
But that was still just around 40 percent of the prepandemic average.
Around 2.83 million came in May at a daily average of about 90,000, equal to about 56 percent of the 2017 to 2019 figure.
The share of leisure visitors is continuing to grow, accounting for half of the total.
About 78.5 percent or 7.95 million of the total were mainlanders.
Of the 2.17 million non-mainlanders, which included Macanese, about half were making short-haul trips, accounting for 10 percent of the total tourist figure.
“[The board] expects the pace of the tourism recovery will continue to be affected by factors such as airline capacity, the global economy and regional tourism competition, particularly with currency exchange rates,” the board said.
Those figures were released as some 400 exhibitors from over 50 countries and regions took part in the International Travel Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai yesterday, more than double last year’s figure.
The four-day travel expo that opened yesterday will be open to the public this afternoon and across the weekend, with the admission fee being HK$20 per person.
Themed “Reconnect & Recover,” this year’s expo is expected to attract 60,000 visitors, 75 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
There will be over 80 seminars, some to be hosted by influencers, as well as themed special photo exhibitions to showcase in-depth cultural tourism in Hong Kong.
In an opening ceremony address, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said the 2.83 million arrivals last month show local tourism is making a full recovery.
He added international leisure and sports events are making a return this year, including the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races at Tsim Sha Tsui East next Saturday and Sunday.
Different exhibitors are promoting their unique cultures and tourist spots.
A stage was set up in the middle of the Russian exhibition, with musicians’ live performances including a violin trio.
Annie Choi Young Mi pushed South Korea’s Pyeong Chang at Gangwon-do, as a skiing destination.
“Even though Japan is the most popular nation for skiers, our country can also be a top [skiing] destinations with the influence of K-pop and K-food culture.”
Eddie Luk Ho-chung, a store manager at Breathe Time, a dive shop based in Okinawa, Japan, was at the expo at the invitation of the Okinawa prefectural government.
As a Hongkonger who moved to the Japanese island, Luk said he has observed a significant bump in Hong Kong tourist numbers with the resumption of overseas travel but that more has to be done to let more people know about how beautiful the island is.
Category: Hong Kong
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