Visitor arrivals reached 2.4 million in March
Total visitor arrivals in March reached 2,404,499, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, or an 11.2% year-on-year increase. This brings cumulative arrivals for the first quarter of 2008 to 7,275,521, 10% higher compared to the same period last year.
In March 2008, mainland China was the best performing of all long- and short-haul market regions, with arrivals growing by 16.8% to 1,269,673. Arrivals from different market regions in March 2008 were:
- Mainland China: 1,269,673 (+16.8%)
- South and Southeast Asia: 264,951 (+10.2%)
- Europe, Africa and the Middle East: 226,862 (+8.8%)
- Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific: 66,117 (+7.7%)
- The Americas: 173,739 (+7.6%)
- Taiwan: 167,130 (no change)
- North Asia: 186,925 (-1.6%)
For individual source markets, arrivals from non-Mainland markets accounted for 47.2% of the total monthly arrivals, with double-digit growth recorded in the high-potential market of South Korea (+13.3%), as well as in such emerging markets as the Middle East (+15.7%), Russia (+27.0%) and India (+13.8%).
Of the total Mainland arrivals in March 2008, 53.6% arrived under the Individual Visit Scheme, a 23.1% increase year-on-year. Cumulatively, there were 2,370,234 arrivals under the Individual Visit Scheme in the first three months of 2008, or an 11.7% increase year-on-year.
Some 57.5% of all visitors to Hong Kong in March stayed in the city for at least one night, 2.4 percentage points lower than for the same month last year. The remaining 42.5% same-day in-town visitors either returned home or left for another destination on the same day as arrival.
Hotel occupancy across all categories of hotels in March 2008 was 86%, three percentage points lower compared to March 2007. The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories was US$174.61, or 3.6% higher year-on-year.
Olympic rings add glamour to harborfront
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) unveiled the Olympic rings fronting Victoria Harbour on May 1, the eve of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in Hong Kong.
Chairman of the HKTB James Tien said the Olympic rings are meant to support the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s effort to create a citywide Olympic ambience. “They will become a landmark at the harborfront and provide a perfect backdrop for visitors’ photos of Hong Kong,” he said.
“We’ve already invited both Mainland and international media to come and feature Hong Kong’s preparation for staging the Equestrian Events, the citywide Olympic ambience and the Olympic rings. We hope that the coverage will maximize the global exposure and publicity for Hong Kong as an Olympic co-host city, further elevating the city’s image,” added Mr. Tien.
The Olympic rings structure measures 15 meters (about 5 stories) in height and 35 meters in width, with the diameter of each ring approximately 10 meters.
The rings, on display at the harborfront exterior of Hong Kong Museum of Art until December 31, 2008, will be fully lit in the evening, further enhancing the city’s night vistas and allowing visitors and residents to see the structure both day and night.
Apart from the Olympic rings, the HKTB will launch a series of promotional activities locally so that visitors can fully experience the Olympic atmosphere in Hong Kong. These include setting up an Olympic Piazza outside Hong Kong Cultural Centre. In addition to broadcasting the Olympic Games on giant screens, the HKTB will dedicate an area to showcase Hong Kong’s major attractions in the Piazza. During the Olympic period, various ports of entry and special locations in the city will be adorned with Olympics decoration, while visitors will be greeted by Olympic mascots at selected ports of entry. In addition, special Olympic-themed guidebooks will be produced for distribution to visitors.
The HKTB also has geared up its marketing activities in the Mainland and overseas. Since late 2007, the HKTB has launched promotional events with equestrian federations and travel trade in markets participating in the Olympic equestrian events or where equestrian sport is popular. To capture the visitor traffic to the Mainland pre- and post-Olympics, the HKTB has teamed up with overseas travel trade to promote “multi-destination” itineraries.
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