Hong Kong Passenger Trips: Golden Week Holiday Numbers
Mainland Chinese Tourist Numbers to Hong Kong Rise During National Day Holiday, But Spending Remains Weak
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– Updated October 9, 2023, 04:42:55 UTC
Increased Visitor numbers, Modest Spending
More than 1.4 million mainland Chinese passenger trips were made to Hong Kong during the eight-day national Day “golden week” holiday, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival, according to official data released by the Hong kong Immigration Department. This represents a 15 percent increase compared to the seven-day National Day holiday in 2022.
Approximately 1.29 million mainland visitors arrived in Hong Kong during the first seven days of the holiday period, a 6.4 percent increase year-over-year.
retail Sector Performance: Stable, But Reliant on Local Demand
Despite the increase in tourist arrivals, spending power remained subdued, according to Annie Tse Yau On-yee, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association. Speaking on a radio program on October 5, 2023, Tse described the retail sector’s performance during the holiday as “stable,” attributing this to a combination of tourist and local consumption.
“Many of our members say the local market provided the most help to thier businesses,” Tse stated, indicating that domestic spending played a significant role in supporting retail during the holiday. She further noted that tourists are increasingly focused on in-depth visits and incidental shopping, rather than large-scale purchases.