The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will encourage investors to build hotels, and expects total hotel room supply will increase to around 84,000 in 2017.
Taking questions in the Legislative Council today, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Gregory So said although the length of stay of Mainland overnight visitors dropped slightly last year, hotel room demand is expected to remain high in the coming years.
The Building Authority has approved 40 hotel projects in the past three years, he said, adding the HKSAR Government will keep a close watch on the hotel demand-supply situation.
Mr So also said the HKSAR Government is looking into ways to adjust the growth in Mainland visitors and their composition, in response to continued concern about Hong Kong's capacity to receive tourists.
The HKSAR Government will continue to discuss the issue with the Central Government.
