Law confident of HK hitting target of 53.8m visitors

Rosanna Law, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, expressed confidence that Hong Kong would meet its target of 53.8 million visitor arrivals this year. According to her, the city is on track to surpass this goal, thanks to a series of major events, trade conventions, and international conferences. Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, Law reported that "nine months have already passed and we have seen 40.7 million visitor arrivals and compared to last year, there has been a steady double-digit increase."

Law explained that the Golden Week in October had seen a significant surge in visitor numbers, helping to push the city past its target. She credited the numerous activities and mega events scheduled during this period for this increase. While the city has faced the challenge of rising fuel prices, which have affected short-haul visitors from Southeast Asia, Law noted that arrivals from the mainland and long-haul markets remain strong.

Regarding the recent opening of Huanggang Port, Law highlighted this as an additional travel option for tourists. She suggested that officials would monitor the usage of different crossings during upcoming large concert events to plan for future developments. During the national day Golden Week, Law reported that arrivals from the mainland exceeded expectations. She attributed this to the Golden Week occurring soon after the Mid-Autumn Festival, which had drawn about 730,000 visitors to Victoria Park.

Looking ahead, Law emphasized the government's commitment to staging distinctive, time-limited events to attract different types of visitors. She proposed the use of more convenient transport links and new checkpoints to continue attracting tourists to Hong Kong.