A drop in the overall number of visitors over the holiday weekend sounds a warning, Chief Executive CY Leung says, adding the Government will launch promotions to attract more tourists to the city.
Speaking to reporters before departing for Wuhan this morning, he said Mainland visitor numbers under all schemes - multiple-visit, individual visit and group travel - had dropped during this year’s three-day Ching Ming Festival holiday year-on-year.
While the decline may be related to the Hong Kong dollar exchange rate and external economic conditions, the recent protests against parallel traders is also a crucial factor, he said. The illegal demonstrations against this practice is detrimental to Hong Kong’s reputation as a tourist destination, he said, adding the Government would combat those activities.
Tourism is important to Hong Kong, Mr Leung said, noting many lower income workers are engaged in the industry. The Government will take remedial efforts to boost Hong Kong’s image and launch promotions later this month to attract more visitors.
