Hong Kong sees increase of mainland tourists over week-long holiday

HONG KONG, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong logged about 1.216 million visitor arrivals from the Chinese mainland during the seven-day National Day holiday ending Monday, up by around 100,000 from the same holiday last year, data from the Hong Kong Immigration Department showed Tuesday.

About 221,000 arrivals were recorded on Oct. 1, the first day of the holiday, up from 177,000 a year earlier, the data showed.

Some 1,100 tour groups visited Hong Kong, and around 70 percent of these tourists chose to stay at least overnight, said Alice Chan, executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, noting that only half of tour group participants did the same a year ago.

"Many standard hotels were booked out, and even luxury hotels were about 90 percent booked. The tourism market outperformed expectations," said Timothy Chui, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association.

Hong Kong on its part has worked to draw crowds. Over 3,600 eateries in Hong Kong offered discounts on Oct. 1, which put the estimated daily revenue at 300 million Hong Kong dollars (about 38.6 million U.S. dollars). Some scenic spots also rolled out promotional campaigns.

Giant panda-themed decorations filled the streets of Hong Kong to celebrate the arrival of a giant panda pair gifted by the central government and the birth of twin cubs in Hong Kong. In the Southern District where the amusement park housing the giant pandas is located, residents and tourists can board boats with giant panda-themed light embellishments for a cruise in nearby waters.

Hong Kong's vibrant cultural scene remains inviting, with a new exhibition about the origins of Chinese civilization at Hong Kong Palace Museum opening from Sept. 25 to Feb. 7 next year. Exploring exhibitions, along with snapping photos at iconic landmarks and embarking on urban walks, are trending among tourists to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong was voted the 8th friendliest city in the world in 2024 by readers of the magazine Conde Nast Traveller. It is mulling new strategies to promote tourism, and proposals were made about allowing more local people to work part-time as tour guides.