Hong Kong visitor arrivals soar

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Tourism Board announced today (24 August) that visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in July reached 4,369,786, a year-on-year increase of 13.8%.

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Tourism Board announced today (24 August) that visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in July reached 4,369,786, a year-on-year increase of 13.8%. Cumulatively, for the first seven months of 2012, total arrivals rose 15.2% to 26,692,540.

Of all visitor arrivals in July, over 2.21 million or 50.7% were overnight arrivals, 3.6% more than in the same month last year. The remaining 49.3% (over 2.15 million) were same-day, in-town arrivals, whose number increased 26.7% over last year.

In the first seven months of 2012, overnight arrivals and same-day, in-town arrivals accounted for 49.5% (over 13.20 million) and 50.5% (almost 13.49 million) of total cumulative arrivals respectively.

The table below summarises the arrivals figures from the various market regions:

January to July July
Market Region 2012 Vs. 2011 2012 Vs. 2011
Long-haul Markets 2,734,729 +1.5% 363,431 -5.4%
The Americas 1,042,550 +0.5% 143,604 -4.9%
Europe, Africa & the Middle East 1,264,652 +3.2% 162,054 -5.1%
Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific 427,527 -1.3% 57,773 -7.4%
Short-haul Markets (excl. Mainland China)* 5,110,659 +0.2% 741,970 -4.6%
North Asia 1,380,576 +7.4% 199,823 +5.7%
South & Southeast Asia 2,062,533 -1.0% 261,583 -11.6%
Taiwan 1,196,702 -5.8% 203,164 -6.2%
Mainland China** 18,847,152 +22.6% 3,264,385 +21.9%
Total* 26,692,540 +15.2% 4,369,786 +13.8%

*Figure includes arrivals from the Macau SAR
**In July, 66.3% (over 2.16 million) of total Mainland arrivals to Hong Kong came under the Individual Visit Scheme, 21.1% more than in the same month last year.

Note:
Visitor arrivals mentioned in this release include both overnight visitors and same-day, in-town visitors. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), visitors are divided into two categories:

(i) tourists or overnight visitors, if the trip involves an overnight stay; and
(ii) same-day visitors or excursionists, if the trip does not involve an overnight stay.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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