Opinion | Golden opportunity for Hong Kong to reap rewards of holiday travel boom

Having emerged from the prolonged coronavirus pandemic for more than a year, many Chinese are itching to travel for the coming May Day holidays.

There are expectations of a bonanza for the mainland tourism industry, as reflected in a recent spike in bookings, but how well Hong Kong can tap into the boom remains to be seen.

Local authorities must come up with more targeted and effective promotions to avoid the city missing out.

Since last week, domestic airfare bookings for “golden week” surged 21 per cent compared to last year, according to mainland ticketer Umetrip. Hotel reservations for lower-tier cities on travel platform Ctrip also rose 68 per cent year on year.

Visa fee charges for outbound trips during the coming holiday were also said to have exceeded those in the corresponding period of 2019. It all bodes well for a healthy recovery to the pre-pandemic level for the mainland.

Hong Kong tourism sector hoping for 30% bump in visitors over ‘golden week’

There have been suggestions that Hong Kong remains a top destination for mainlanders due to its accessibility, and they appear to be supported by the latest arrival figures.

The city recorded a 154.3 per cent increase in the number of visitors in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period in 2023, with 11.2 million arrivals. As many as 3.4 million visitors came to the city last month, a 38.6 per cent increase over the year before. More than 70 per cent of them – or 2.47 million – came from the mainland.

But those numbers still fall short of levels before the pandemic. Changing travel patterns and consumption behaviour means earning tourism dollars is no longer as easy as it used to be.

The city must not rest on its laurels and assume crowds of mainland tourists will just descend on it during the golden week. If recent experience is any guide, they may not spend much even if they come.

Many now come here for an immersive cultural experience or city walks rather than shopping and dining. The benefits to relevant industries cannot be taken for granted.

Hong Kong’s John Lee vows to attract more tourists during ‘golden week’ holiday

The government has budgeted as much as HK$1.09 billion (US$139 million) to boost tourism, including an unspecified amount on sponsored trips for 2,000 industry professionals, celebrities and internet influencers who produced more than 330 short videos documenting their travel experience in Hong Kong.

While the videos aired on more than 3,000 platforms worldwide, with up to 200 million views, their effectiveness in attracting more tourists is hard to quantify.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged to draw more visitors, adding that he was glad that local businesses were adapting to shifting demands and consumption patterns.

Whether we can play to our strengths as a city of hospitality and offer good experiences to visitors will be a real test for its development.