HK travel slips by 12.2%

Hong Kong Tourism Board reports a 12.2 % decline in visitor arrivals in July compared with the same month in 2008.

It recorded 2,378,298 international arrivals in July. The decrease was largely attributed to a 13.7%-drop in arrivals from mainland China, when compared with an exceptional growth in the corresponding month last year, when many mainland visitors visited Hong Kong prior to the Olympics.

Arrivals from the Thai market showed an 18.6% decrease with 32,186 arrivals compared over 39,540 arrivals in 2008.

Llong-haul markets produced some positive gains, given the lower base of arrivals last July, due to the visa policy adjustment by China in the run-up to the Olympics. There were increases in arrivals from the Americas, as well as Europe, Africa and the Middle East ranging from 1.2% to 2.2% in July 2009.

For the seven-month period, January to July 2009, visitor arrivals stood at 16,075,077, 4.9% lower than the same period last year. There were 271,721 Thai visitors, 11.2% lower than 245,292 arrivals in 2008. With the exception of mainland China, which supplied a positive gain of 1.5%, all other long- and short-haul markets registered declines.