Tourist figures in Q1 top 11 million

Tourist arrivals in Hong Kong topped 11 million in the first quarter of the year, continuing a post-pandemic rebound as the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced fresh measures to attract visitors to the city. At a Legco panel meeting, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung described the recovery in the tourism sector as strong, with visitor numbers climbing steadily from 8.47 million in the second quarter of 2023 to 11.23 million in the January-March period. Yeung also said Hong Kong has the capacity to receive more mainland tourists, and authorities would discuss with their counterparts on the mainland about further expanding the Individual Visit Scheme. Meanwhile, the HKTB has outlined its work plan for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Executive director Dane Cheng said one of its major objectives is to consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an international city. There will be a new courtesy campaign starting next month to demonstrate the city’s good hospitality, including the further expansion of a volunteer programme that recruits young people as hosts and offer personal tips to visitors, Cheng added. According to projections by the HKTB, total visitor arrivals for 2024 will reach 46 million, up 35 percent from a year ago and about 75 percent of the 2018 figure. “If you look around the world, it's been two years now since some of the places resume normal travel with the world, and the capacity or tourist figures have only resumed to 70 or 80 percent of pre-pandemic days," Yeung said. "We’ve seen a change of landscape in the tourism industry so we do not have a fixed target in mind in terms of tourist numbers. We’ll look at the global trend as we make our projections and formulate policies."