More than 60 million tourists expected in Hong Kong in 2018 as officials pin hopes on projects linking city to mainland China
Authorities dismiss fears city would be too congested and reignite animosity towards cross-border visitors, citing increased number of hotel rooms
More than 60 million tourists are expected to pour into Hong Kong this year, marking a 3.6 per cent uptick year on year as officials hope two cross-border links will help bring in visitors from mainland China when the projects open later this year.
If the targets hold, it would be the second time the city received more than 60 million visitors in a single year, following a record 60.8 million in 2014.
But the Tourism Board brushed aside fears the city would be too congested and that Hongkongers’ animosity towards their mainland counterparts would resurface, citing the increased number of hotel rooms and efforts to draw visitors away from traditional hotspots.
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The number 60 million should not be seen as a threshold for our capacity