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Hong Kong’s tourism industry still struggling to recover as Labour Day ‘golden week’ trips hit just two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels

  • Financial Secretary Paul Chan says government will continue to work hard to attract more tourists to city, despite apparent trend towards commuter visitors
  • Hong Kong recorded 893,764 inward trips over the five day golden week break, which ended on Sunday

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A tourist takes a stroll along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade during the Labour Day golden week break. Photo: Elson Li
Hong Kong’s tourism industry is still struggling to recover as the number of trips to the city over the Labour Day “golden week” holiday hit just two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels, the Post can reveal.
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Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Monday said the government would continue to make efforts to promote the mega-event economy and attract more tourists to Hong Kong, despite some mainland Chinese visitors choosing to spend their nights in hotels across the border and travel to the city in daytime over the holiday.

He was speaking after the city recorded 893,764 inward trips over the five-day mainland break, which ended on Sunday.

The figure was 23.5 per cent higher than the same period last year, but only 66.8 per cent of the 2019 number, when 1.33 million trips were recorded.

Hong Kong police officers distribute traffic safety advice and taxi service guides to mainland Chinese tourists during the golden week break. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong police officers distribute traffic safety advice and taxi service guides to mainland Chinese tourists during the golden week break. Photo: Eugene Lee

Industry leaders said the numbers showed better-targeted policies were needed and that fresh ideas had to be included in a tourism blueprint designed to reboot the industry, which will be unveiled later this year.

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