Transit tourists stopping off for less than a day will no longer have to pay the $50 departure tax in a move aimed at getting them out of the airport and into shops.
Hong Kong Tourist Association spokesman Peter Randall said the plan could generate $75 million a year when visitors went on quick tours of the city, or shopping.
'It's psychological - people feel they're in transit, they can hang around the airport,' he said. 'But if they're told you can go into town and see a bit of Hong Kong, it's encouragement.' Mr Randall said about two million travellers each year spent more than four hours in transit. It was thought about 166,000 could be encouraged to leave the airport.
Mr Tsang said the impact on revenue of waiving the charge would be minimal.
The tax was reduced last year from $100 to offset the higher cost involved with getting to Chek Lap Kok compared with Kai Tak.
Hong Kong Hotels Association executive director James Lu Shien-hwai said many other countries were doing the same thing for same-day visitors.
