Tourists stroll along the promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui during the Labor Day Golden Week holiday. (Photo: South China Morning Post)
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s tourism industry is still struggling to recover, with the number of tourists to Hong Kong during the Labor Day “Golden Week” holiday reaching just two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels, South China Morning says.・This was revealed by the post.
Finance Secretary Paul Chan Mopo said on Monday that the government is promoting a mega-event economy, even though some mainland Chinese choose to cross the border, spend the night in hotels and commute to work. He said he would continue efforts to attract more tourists to Hong Kong. I went to town during the day on my day off.
He spoke after the city recorded 893,764 domestic travelers during the five-day mainland holiday that ended on Sunday.
This figure is a 23.5% increase compared to the same period last year, but only 66.8% compared to 2019, when 1.33 million trips were recorded.
Industry leaders say the figures show the need for more targeted policies and fresh ideas need to be included in the tourism plan to reboot the tourism industry, which will be released later this year. He said there is.
”[They] Come and pay to contribute to our retail and food and beverage industries,” Chan said.
“At the same time, it is also an opportunity to see the real situation in Hong Kong, as there are sometimes misleading reports in the media.
“We need to increase their confidence.”
The figures also showed that 85% of tourists are from the mainland.
Tourism Minister Kevin Yong Yun-hoon earlier said the number of mainland tourists this year is expected to be in line with expectations of 800,000 tourists and total spending of more than HK$2 billion (9.4 billion baht). Ta.
According to statistics from the Tourism Board, in 2019, each guest spent an average of HK$5,818, while day-trippers spent an average of HK$2,004.
Last year, overnight guests spent 18.6% more per person to HK$6,900, while day-trippers spent 35.1% less to HK$1,300.
However, the board predicted spending by overnight travelers this year would fall to levels similar to 2019.
There were 2.01 million out-of-town trips during Golden Week, 55% of which were made by Hong Kong residents.
Mainland visitors were the second largest at 37%, with the remaining 8% coming from other countries.
This means that the net inflows for this period totaled 33,063 people, 28.5% lower than the 46,274 people recorded in the same period in 2023.
Simon Lee Siupo, emeritus research fellow at the Asia Pacific School of Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said tourist spending was influenced by people choosing cheaper hotels near Shenzhen and commuting into the city on the day. . trip.
“While the government is working hard to attract tourists, tourists in the Greater Bay Area tend to prefer low-cost day trips while staying in Shenzhen,” he said.
“There is no incentive to stay in Hong Kong where five-star hotels like the Grand Hyatt or Ritz-Carlton cost only about HK$1,100 to HK$1,400 per night when they cost thousands of dollars per night in Shenzhen.
This also applies to people outside the Bay Area.
The Bay Area is the Chinese government’s plan to connect Hong Kong and Macau with nine mainland cities to form an economic powerhouse.
Mr. Lee highlighted that the Four Seasons Hotel in Shenzhen offers annual membership for 2,888 yuan, which allows you to claim 50% off on room rates and meals, as well as cash coupons and free meals.
He suggested that city officials create incentives to attract tourists, such as a 20% discount on hotel rates for those who spend a certain amount of money in the city.
“Hong Kong is so expensive that I can’t find a good reason to pay for flights and expensive hotels to come and stay here,” Lee said.
“They may choose other destinations on the mainland or take short trips to Japan because the yen is cheap.”
Sara Leung Fung Yuen, president of the Hong Kong Tourism Employees Union, said authorities should focus on unique elements of the city’s culture, such as stilt houses and typhoon shelters, rather than focusing on elaborate fireworks displays and large-scale events. He said more emphasis should be placed on
“Hong Kong has strong foundations and a unique culture,” she says.
Mr Leong added: “I don’t understand why the government doesn’t invest more in this aspect to give Hong Kong a selling point in the same way that Disneyland has long provided us with a popular tourist attraction.” .
“Promoting our unique culture will help us attract more tourists and become a long-term tourist attraction.
“Massive events are not unique to Hong Kong, and the economic benefits of attracting tourists are expensive and take a long time.”
Mr. Leon said the number of tourists has gradually increased, mainly by individual travelers, but the number of tour groups has not shown a significant increase.
He added that the presence of unauthorized tour operators outside urban areas further complicates the situation for registered travel agents.
Authorities have earmarked HK$100 million to boost promotion of major events over the next three years to kick-start the recovery of the sluggish tourism industry.
A monthly HK$1 million fireworks show, which started on May 1, is also scheduled to attract tourists.
