‘Golden week’ hotel bargains send tourist numbers soaring – but no one’s buying much, with retail down
While visitor numbers jumped more than 14.1 per cent on the first day of the holiday, retailers complained that they had seen sales fall
The ongoing “golden week” holiday has seen surprisingly strong growth in mainland tourist numbers since it kicked off last Saturday, with visitor numbers jumping more than 14.1 per cent on the first day, according to the Immigration Department.
Industry insiders said the growth was mainly due to visitors from the neighbouring Guangdong province, as cheaper hotel rooms and convenient travel had made Hong Kong a bargain choice for the long weekend from April 30 to May 2.
Government statistics showed more than 200,000 visitors arrived on the first day of the national holiday, a jump from the 177,000 recorded last year. Overall visitors also soared 9.1 per cent to 254,000.
Tourism lawmaker Yiu Si-wing told the Post a shift in tourist mix would bring economic benefits to all districts of Hong Kong.
“Their travel patterns are very different from the previous mainland tourists ... They are very familiar with Hong Kong,” Yiu said.