February visitor arrivals reach 2.35 million
Visitor arrivals in February reached 2,352,456, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). This is a 2.9% year-on-year increase and brings the cumulative arrivals for the first two months of 2008 to 4,871,022, or 9.4% higher compared to the same period last year.
Sustaining their robust performance, all three long-haul market regions achieved double-digit gains in February 2008. In the short-haul regions, both North Asia and South and Southeast Asia registered growth of about 20%. Arrivals from different market regions in February 2008 were:
- Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific: 47,628 (+26.2%)
- North Asia: 190,683 (+20.7%)
- Europe, Africa and the Middle East: 154,789 (+20.1%)
- South and Southeast Asia: 169,412 (+19.5%)
- The Americas: 114,029 (+14.1%)
- Mainland China: 1,442,302 (-2.6%)
- Taiwan: 178,018 (-5.6%)
Of the total Mainland arrivals in February, 59.3% arrived in Hong Kong under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), a 6.9% decrease year-on-year.
Approximately 59% of visitors to Hong Kong in February stayed in the city for at least one night, three percentage points lower compared to the same month last year. The remaining 41% same-day in-town visitors either returned home or left for another destination on the same day as arrival.
Taiwan continued to have the highest percentage — at least seven out of every 10 — of same-day arrivals, as many visitors traveled en-route to the Mainland or other destinations. Taiwanese visitors also have been making use of the direct ferry services from Hong Kong International Airport’s SkyPier to Pearl River Delta destinations without passing through Hong Kong immigration.
About 42.2% of Mainland visitors left Hong Kong on the same day of arrival in February. This is a 4.6 percentage-point increase year-on-year, as the Individual Visit Scheme has made it more convenient for Mainland visitors to make short, consumption visits to Hong Kong. As a result, the average per capita spending and overall contribution to total tourism receipts by Mainland same-day arrivals have been on the increasing trend.
Hotel occupancy across all categories of hotels in February was 80%, the same as in February 2007. The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories was US$145.12 or 10.6% higher year-on-year.
Hong Kong wins cruise magazine poll
In the yearly Best Cruise Destinations poll of British cruise magazine Dream World Cruise Destinations, Hong Kong was voted among others in the Best Destination Experience — Independent Sightseeing and Best Turnaround Destination sections.
Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) James Tien is delighted about the awards. “These awards prove that Hong Kong’s position as a cruise destination is again recognized by the industry and tourists,” he said. “The HKTB has been working with the government and travel trade in the promotion of cruise tourism and striving to help cruise companies develop itineraries with Hong Kong as the home port.”
Mr. Tien said in the past two years, three of the biggest cruise companies in the world — Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruise and Star Cruises — have made Hong Kong their home port and reaped much success. “In the coming two years, we will continue to work closely with the government and cruise terminal operators to attract more cruise companies to base in Hong Kong to further foster cruise business,” he said.
Total ship calls of cruise liners to Hong Kong in 2007 exceeded 1,110, while total cruise passenger throughput in 2007 was more than 620,000, a surge of 52% over that of 2006, according to the HKTB.
Cruise companies that have chosen to homeport in Hong Kong are offering regular and seasonal voyages in 2008 and 2009, including SuperStar Aquarius, SuperStar Libra and SuperStar Virgo of Star Cruises, Rhapsody of the Sea of Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd, Costa Allegra and Costa Classica of Costa, all of which reflect confidence of cruise operators in Hong Kong’s cruise market.
Hong Kong has been voted one of the destinations in the categories of Best Destination Experience — Independent Sightseeing and Best Turnaround Destination in the Dream World Cruise Destinations poll. The criteria of Best Destination Experience — Independent Sightseeing are based on independent sightseeing experiences of cruise tourists in the destinations, while Best Turnaround Destination evaluates standards of facilities to and from the piers, airports, hotels and sightseeing spots.
Dream World Cruise Destinations is a British cruise magazine targeted at professionals in the cruise business, including executives of cruise companies and travel agents. The poll was held the 13th time this year and surveyed the best destinations in 13 categories, including facilities and operation of piers and ports, tourism appeal and hospitality. Cruise professionals around the world completed the questionnaires.
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