8th February 2025 – Hong Kong experienced a surge in tourism during the recent Lunar New Year holidays, welcoming around 1.4 million visitors. Of this total, approximately 1.2 million were from mainland China, accounting for around 85% of the overall influx. On average, the city saw 150,000 mainland visitors daily, with the numbers peaking at around 190,000 on the second day of the holiday.
Yiu Pak-leung, a Legislative Council member representing the tourism sector, discussed the positive outlook on a radio program today. He emphasized the smooth movement of both inbound and outbound travellers, noting the vibrant atmosphere in the tourism market. Hotel occupancy rates approached 90%, and room prices saw a year-on-year decrease of about 10%. Yiu expressed hopes that more visitors would take part in deeper, more engaging tours. He suggested that authorities should promote the multiple-entry Individual Visit Scheme for major mainland cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou to encourage further travel.
Fanny Yeung, Executive Director of the Travel Industry Council, acknowledged that while visitor numbers fell slightly short of expectations, she remained pleased with the overall performance. The number of group travellers increased, with around 79,000 joining tours. Of these, 83% were overnight visitors, staying an average of 2 to 3 nights—an improvement from the previous year’s average of 1 to 2 nights. However, Yeung highlighted the ongoing staff shortage in the tourism industry, particularly among foreign language guides. The lack of Thai-speaking guides has hindered travel agencies from accepting tour groups from Thailand, prompting calls for better training initiatives from the authorities.
In outbound tourism, Hong Kong saw over 1,700 spring travel groups last year, but the number is expected to decline to around 1,400 this year. This decrease can be attributed to the proximity of the Christmas and Lunar New Year holidays, which led many residents to travel during Christmas, reducing their inclination to travel again during the New Year period. Flight bookings for this year’s Lunar New Year increased by 70% compared to the previous year, with popular destinations including Japan and Taiwan, while fewer residents opted to visit mainland China. Yeung also noted that the rise of online scams had affected group travel sales, as many residents now prefer to book directly with airlines rather than responding to travel ads on social media.
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