Hong Kong's visitor profile still shows few signs of a real recovery

In the first half, a 68 per cent increase in visitors to Hong Kong over the same period last year hid weak results when held up against more typical years.

When compared with 2001 - before the September 11 attacks reduced travel totals - four of Hong Kong's major source markets for visitors were still falling while three were up. If the mainland is included, then the result is balanced - four up, four down.

The growth markets were Australia, South Korea and Britain. Japan still ranks the weakest - down almost 33 per cent on its 2001 total. Its share is now less than 5 per cent; not only is that well below the 10 per cent share achieved in 2001 but the more than 20 per cent figures achieved in the 1990s have become a distant memory.

By regions, the largest - Asia (excluding the mainland) is still down a disturbing 12 per cent.

It seems likely the Americas will be on the verge of moving back into growth when yearly counts are made; its decline for the first half was only 2 per cent.

Europe, the same-sized market as the Americas, increased by a fair 12 per cent while Australasia increased by a similar percentage - helped by good VFR travel (trade jargon for visiting friends or relatives) from Australia.