Hong Kong’s tourism industry is expected to take a big hit during the mainland’s May Day holiday, and the city plans to launch various activities to attract tourists and strengthen cooperation with the mainland.
Hong Kong will receive about 800,000 mainland tourists during the five-day holiday starting May 1, an increase of 30% year-on-year, said Fanny Yong Shuk-fan, executive director of the Hong Kong Travel Industry Council. He said he expected it to arrive.
He said 800 tour groups (up to 28,000 people) from the mainland are expected to visit Hong Kong during the holiday.
Mainland visitors are more likely to choose short-haul trips during their holidays, which could make Hong Kong a popular destination, Yong said on Wednesday.
Hong Kong is stepping up efforts to strengthen its tourism industry to boost economic growth by holding a series of major events and stepping up promotions on the mainland. The city will hold a fireworks display on May 1st and a drone show on May 11th.
The city also signed a strategic partnership with mainland social media platform Xiaohongshu to strengthen cooperation in promoting cultural tourism.
According to the latest statistics from the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the city recorded 11.2 million tourists in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 5% compared to the fourth quarter of last year.
Of these, approximately 8.7 million were arrivals from the mainland.
