Mainland Chinese group tours to Hong Kong up 90pc despite mass protests

The number of mainland group tours to Hong Kong has almost doubled despite the Occupy Central protests that are affecting business and transport.

From October 1 to 22, an average of 380 groups visited the city per day - up 90 per cent from the same time last year, Travel Industry Council data shows.

That jump in numbers contrasted sharply with the grim picture painted by the tourism trade, which claimed the Occupy sit-ins could drag down arrival numbers and hotel occupancy rates.

Those fears seemed to be borne out when mainland authorities stopped issuing tour-group visas from October 1 to 7, in what local agencies described as "unprecedented" action. The South China Morning Post also learned from mainland firms that they had been advised to stop organising tours to the city.

But it turned out to be a temporary halt that was limited in scale and never put down officially on paper.

The council's executive director, Joseph Tung Yao-chung, said the China National Tourism Administration denied issuing any directive banning tours to Hong Kong, saying it had only advised agencies to "be careful" given the situation.

The dramatic increase in group tour numbers was due to the relatively low number last year, he said yesterday.