Hong Kong tourist numbers see biggest increase in seven months thanks to Golden Week holiday
Mainland visitors flocking to city during eight-day public holiday helped a lot
The number of tourist arrivals in Hong Kong last month rose by the largest margin in seven months as mainland Chinese visitors fuelled the surge, helped by the eight-day “Golden Week” holiday.
In October, the city saw a 6.6 per cent year-on-year increase to 5.28 million visitors, the strongest growth since March, according to statistics released by the Tourism Board on Thursday.
The uptick transpired thanks to “Golden Week”, a Chinese public holiday running from October 1 to 8, tourism sector lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said. Golden Week happens every year, but this year was one day longer as Mid-Autumn Festival fell in the middle of it.
Annual holiday helps Hong Kong’s retail sector maintain strong run
“China’s economy has been stable, and there was no negative news from Hong Kong about mainland tourists over the past year,” Yiu said. “Transportation to Hong Kong has also become more convenient, with [neighbouring city] Shenzhen adding more high-speed train lines.”