LATEST NEWS : HONG KONG RECEIVES 3.6 MILLION VISITORS IN JULY, AN INCREASE OF 30 % THAN IN JUNE 2023

(HKTB Hosts Trade Update to Share Latest Tourism Status in Hong Kong)

TTT NEWS NETWORK

KOLKATA, 27 AUGUST 2023:

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced few days ago that the preliminary visitor arrivals in July were about 3.6 million, an increase of 31% from the previous month. The average daily visitor arrivals were 116,000. Cumulatively, nearly 16.5 million visitor arrivals were recorded in the first seven months of this year.

At a trade update held yesterday (10 August), the HKTB analysed the latest situation and trends of Hong Kong’s tourism industry and introduced the key initiatives of the HKTB in the coming months to more than 700 representatives from travel and tourism related sectors including local travel agents, attractions, hotels, airlines, retailers, food and beverage caterers, convention and exhibition organisers and cruise lines.

Mr Dane Cheng, Executive Director of the HKTB, said, “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% of pre-pandemic levels last month, followed by Mainland, which has recovered by about 70%. 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.”

He added, “The trade update helps the industry to keep themselves abreast of the latest tourism trends and developments and formulate plans to continue to work together in promoting the recovery of Hong Kong’s tourism.”

On the Trade Update, the HKTB elaborated on the following to participating trade representatives:

• Latest tourism figures and the pace of recovery of Hong Kong’s tourism industry
• Trends among visitors to Hong Kong

1. Travelling by High Speed Rail is becoming popular
2. Arts & culture and green tourism are highly sought after especially among young segment
3. Changing spending behaviours with fewer visitors coming to Hong Kong primarily for shopping purpose, while more seeking experiences beyond shopping
4. Strong recovery in meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) tourism

• HKTB’s upcoming work in the coming months:

1. Seeing is Believing: the HKTB will continue to invite Mainland and overseas trade partners, media representatives, celebrities and KOLs to visit Hong Kong in-person and then promote the diverse experience to the world.
2. Mega events: the HKTB will continue to organise flagship events including Hong Kong Cyclothon, Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, Hong Kong WinterFest, Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations, as well as supporting other large-scale international events and happenings in the city to attract visitors to Hong Kong and enrich their experience in town.
3. Market-specific targeted promotions: the HKTB will focus its promotional efforts by targeting specific key source markets such as the Mainland and Southeast Asia through social media, which is popular among young people, and step up the promotion of MICE tourism.