Mainland tourist spending in Hong Kong during the Labor Day “Golden Week” holiday was HK$2 billion (US$256 million), with arrivals in line with initial expectations despite recent stormy weather The tourism chief said it is expected to exceed the number of visitors.
Culture, Sports and Tourism Secretary Kevin Yong Yun-hoon said on Sunday that about 670,000 mainlanders arrived in the city between last Wednesday and Saturday, the first four days of the mainland holiday, which runs from May 1 to May 5. He announced that he had crossed over.
“That’s close to our expectations of 800,000 tourists from the mainland. Considering the weather in Hong Kong, we did a great job,” Yong said on a radio show, adding that the impact of heavy rain on both sides of the border. This may have caused delays for some travelers.
He said the final figure could exceed 700,000 as more tourists are likely to arrive on Sunday as the weather improves on the final day of the holiday.
“I believe they will spend more than HK$2 billion in Hong Kong…It will bring some help to our economy,” he said.
Yong added that the government had originally estimated spending HK$2.3 billion for the 800,000 mainland tourists expected.
Arrival statistics show that mainlanders made 113,797 trips to the city on Saturday, part of the 669,117 arrivals from May 1 to May 4.
Wednesday’s fireworks display at Victoria Harbor, one of the major efforts to welcome visitors, had previously drawn criticism from some internet users.
The tourism board, which organized the HK$1 million (US$128,000) show, confirmed the fireworks display would go ahead that afternoon, following government warnings that bad weather could force its cancellation. did.
At the beginning of the “Golden Week” holiday, tourists gather on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in rainy weather.Photo: Jerry Tse
Some tourists still complained on mainland social media platform Xiaohongshu that they could only see thick clouds of smoke.
Tourism Minister Yong also said on Sunday that he witnessed heavy smoke and could not see the letters “HK” in the sky, one of the elements advertised ahead of the show.
He said the exhibition faced many challenges as the weather was difficult to predict and the government had to consider many factors, understanding that the public wanted an agreement to be finalized as soon as possible. He said there was.
The city plans to hold monthly fireworks and drone shows as part of its efforts to attract and entertain visitors.
Mr Yong said the government would learn lessons from recent performances, including the drone show to be held next Saturday.
“We will be clear in our promotions and manage expectations,” he said.
