Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) says that preliminary visitor arrival to Hong Kong in July amounted to 3.6 million tourists
Hong Kong’s July retail sales rose 16.5 pc from a year earlier in the eighth consecutive month of growth, helmed by an increase in visitor arrivals and positive consumption sentiment, according to a press statement by the city government.
It says that sales increased to USD 4.21 billion. That compared with a revised 19.5 pc rise in June and 18.5 pc growth in May.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) says that preliminary visitor arrival to Hong Kong in July amounted to 3.6 million tourists, an increase of 31 pc from the previous month.
According to the press statement by HKTB, average daily visitor arrivals were 116,000. Cumulatively, nearly 16.5 million visitor arrivals were recorded in the first seven months of this year.
The statement adds that revival in inbound tourism should continue to benefit the retail sector in the coming months. Improved labour market conditions and the government’s various measures to support consumption should also help, it adds.
Dane Cheng
“Hong Kong’s tourism industry is recovering gradually. Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong have recovered the fastest in Southeast Asia, with visitor arrivals from the Philippines and Thailand each reaching more than 90 pc of pre-pandemic levels last month, followed by Mainland, which has recovered by about 70 pc. About half of all visitors are overnight visitors, slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels. With the change in travel and spending behaviour after the pandemic, visitors are looking for more in-depth and diversified experiences. In the coming months, the HKTB will continue to invite different groups of people to visit Hong Kong to experience the city’s diverse tourism offerings to produce more positive words-of-mouth for better promotion, and organise flagship events to attract visitors to Hong Kong,” says Dane Cheng, Executive Director of the HKTB.
In July, sales of jewellery, watches, clocks and valuable gifts, which before the pandemic were mostly to mainland tourists, surged 19.8 pc from a year earlier as compared with a 64.4 pc jump in June, data showed.
HKTB says it analysed the latest situation and trends of Hong Kong’s tourism industry and introduced the key initiatives for the coming months to more than 700 representatives from travel and tourism related sectors. It included local travel agents, attractions, hotels, airlines, retailers, food and beverage caterers, convention and exhibition organisers and cruise lines.
HKTB says that trends among visitors to Hong Kong show that travelling by high-speed rail is becoming popular. Arts and culture and green tourism are highly sought after especially among the young travellers.
The statement says that there is a changing consumer behaviour that shows lesser interest in retail tourism while more seeking experiences beyond shopping. Strong recovery in meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) tourism has also been a highlight of the season.
