Hong Kong tourism and shopping sectors post good April figures, suggesting full recovery
Number of visitors staying overnight in city grows 5.7 per cent, accounting for nearly half of 5.03 million tourist arrivals in the month, boosted by ‘Golden Week’ holiday
The recovery in Hong Kong’s tourism and shopping industries gained momentum in April, with double-digit growth in visitor numbers and retail sales.
The city’s tourist arrivals rose 11 per cent for April on a year earlier, meaning a third month of large growth in a row, the Tourism Board said on Thursday. Meanwhile, the government said retail sales jumped 12.3 per cent year on year.
The board said the number of visitors staying overnight grew by 5.7 per cent, accounting for nearly half of the overall 5.03 million tourist arrivals in the month.
The number of mainland Chinese travellers – who make up three in every four visitors to the city – staying overnight rose by 8.9 per cent.
Retail performance suggested good prospects for a full industry recovery. Hong Kong’s retail and tourism sectors had been hit by anti-mainland China sentiment, which some analysts said deterred mainland visitors, over the past three years.