Thousands on the move at end of holiday week
More than 550,000 people arrived and departed from Hong Kong yesterday, the end of the Labour Day 'golden week' holiday, the Immigration Department said.
By midnight, 319,004 people had arrived in the city and 231,298 had left.
The tourism industry saw business drop by around a fifth during the holiday week, with high hotel prices and unscrupulous business practices turning mainland visitors away.
Tour guides said agencies had attempted to recover lost income by forcing tourists to spend more on shopping, so they could earn more commission.
A Xinhua report yesterday said after eight years, people's attitudes towards the 'golden week' had changed. Many mainlanders chose not to travel because of the crowds.
Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong said yesterday the number of mainlanders committing crimes in Hong Kong was low, with only 13 in every 100,000 breaking local laws.
