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The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced that visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in January 2011 rose by 21.5% year-on-year to 3,598,030. The growth was driven by increase in arrivals from the Mainland market, whereas the arrival figures of the long-haul and short-haul markets were at similar levels compared to the same period last year.
During January 2011, Mainland arrivals saw remarkable growth of 31.2% to exceed 2.5 million. Of these, nearly 70% (over 1.73 million) travelled to Hong Kong under the Individual Visit Scheme. The figure represents an increase of 42.0% year-on-year. Such growth can be attributed to the multiple-entry visa arrangement for Shenzhen residents to visit Hong Kong, as well as the expanded scope for non-Guangdong residents in Shenzhen to apply for individual visit endorsement. The appreciation of the Renminbi against the Hong Kong dollar also helped to draw a large number of Mainland visitors to Hong Kong for consumption before the Chinese New Year.
For the short-haul markets, South Korea showed the most prominent growth, sustaining the double-digit gain recorded every single month last year. The strong momentum was led by the robust South Korean economy and the appreciation of the WON currency, as well as aspirations for Hong Kong among the South Korean consumers. As a result, arrivals from this market went up by 24.9% to 102,546. Farther in the long-haul markets, steady performance was seen in most markets. The star performer was Canada, which arrivals increased by 12.4% to 33,603.
Emerging markets, including India, the Middle East and Russia, also continued to see increased arrivals. The most outstanding growth was found in Russia (+52.6%), where the harsh winter has propelled the locals to travel out of the country. The visa-free arrangements between Hong Kong and Russia also served to lure more Russian visitors to Hong Kong.
Overnight Visitors vs. Same-Day, in-Town Visitors
In January 2011, the number of overnight visitors and same-day in-town visitors took up about 1.78 million and 1.8 million, a year-on-year increase of 7.4% and 39.8% respectively.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
