By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-31 06:36:42 | Updated at 2025-01-31 09:47:03
3 hours ago
The number of overnight tour groups visiting Hong Kong during the Lunar New Year holiday so far has been rising due to the increased supply of hotel rooms after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an industry representative.
Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, also said there were more mainland visitors entering Hong Kong via the Shenzhen Bay checkpoint this year following a revived multiple-entry visa scheme.
“In the past mainland tourists had difficulty booking hotels, but this year as well as last, we’ve seen a rising number of mainland tour groups coming to Hong Kong,” Chui told a radio programme.
“Those staying overnight account for about half [of visitors]. The number of people who choose to stay overnight, with Hong Kong a part of their journey, has really increased. I think it is due to the increasing supply of hotel rooms.”
According to Immigration Department numbers, there were 483,405 arrivals and 585,381 departures on Thursday, the second day of the holiday. Among them, 187,138 visitor trips were made into Hong Kong from the mainland, with another 28,885 by others. Locals made 394,912 outbound trips.
There were close to 300,000 arrivals and more than 477,000 departures on Wednesday, the first day of Lunar New Year.
