Mega bridge and high-speed rail bring bumper October arrivals for Hong Kong with 4.65 million mainland visitors
- Among the 5.88 million people who poured into the city, most were mainlanders on day trips, spurred by the new infrastructure links
Two major cross-border links have pulled in 11.5 per cent more visitors into Hong Kong in October compared with the same period last year and triggered a 5.9 per cent jump in retail sales, according to tourism authorities.
Among the 5.88 million people who poured into the city, most were mainlanders, with a jump in this visitor segment reaching an all-time high for any October, the Tourism Board said on Friday.
The number of mainlanders visiting Hong Kong in October surged 15.4 per cent to 4.65 million, accounting for four out of every five visitors in the city.
“The October growth was mainly due to the express rail line and the bridge,” a Tourism Board spokeswoman said. She added that international visitors’ desire to travel to Hong Kong waned in the wake of a strengthening Hong Kong dollar, which is pegged to the US dollar.
When the 55km sea crossing opened in late October, tens of thousands of mainland tourists flooded into Lantau Island. Most of them were part of day-trip tour groups on weekends, and took public transport to Tung Chung, a Lantau residential area nearest to the Hong Kong port facility of the bridge.