Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals for July 2005

Hong Kong’s tourism industry maintained its record-breaking performance in July 2005, with total visitor arrivals reaching 2,067,240. This is 3.8% higher than the previous record for the month, set in 2004.

For the first seven months of 2005 to date, total arrivals now stand at 13,045,288, 8.7% ahead of the same period in 2004.

Analysis by Markets

Mainland China contributed 1,147,076 arrivals in July, a marginal decrease of 1.2% compared with the same month in 2004, when Mainland arrivals received a boost following the further extension of the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) to the whole of Guangdong Province in May 2004 and then to nine other Mainland cities two months later. Some 527,000 visitors, 46.0% of the total from the Mainland, arrived under the IVS. Cross-boundary arrivals were dampened by the tendency to defer travel to Hong Kong until after the opening of Disneyland, aggressive promotion of Hong Kong International Airport’s SkyPier, enabling through travellers to connect with ferry services without passing through Hong Kong immigration, and a campaign in the Mainland encouraging domestic travel. Cumulatively, January-July 2005 arrivals from the Mainland are 3.0% ahead of the same period in 2004.

July arrivals from Taiwan grew by 3.6% to 203,425, bringing the January-July total to more than 1.22 million, 3.4% higher than for the same months on 2004. While the SkyPier is affecting the overall arrivals count from Taiwan, the percentage of overnight vacation against same-day, in-town Taiwanese visitors continued to rise in July.

South and Southeast Asia grew by 14.1% in July to 196,583, with cumulative total for January-July 2005 at more than 1.31 million, a year-on-year increase of 21.4%

Arrivals from North Asia grew by 1% in July to 150,012, bringing the cumulative seven-monthly total for the region to more than 1.03 million, a 19.9% increase. In this region, robust growth from South Korea was offset by continued fallout from political tensions between the Mainland and Japan earlier this year.

Long-haul regions showed outstanding performance in July, continuing the vigorous growth trend evident since the beginning of the year. Arrivals from Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, and Europe, Africa and the Middle East increased by 35.3% (56,002) and 27.5% (134,423) respectively, taking the cumulative totals for the first seven months of the year in each market to 31.8% (346,456) and 25.6% (944,104). Arrivals from the Americas totalled 134,948, 8.1% above the July 2004 total, with the seven-monthly figure at more than 886,740, a 15.1% increase.

Same-Day, In-Town Visitors

Some 64.5% of all visitors to Hong Kong in July stayed in the city at least one night, compared with the 63.4% in July 2004. Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific had the highest percentage of overnight arrivals in July, at 81.3%.

Between January and July 2005, 62.9% of all arrivals stayed for at least one night, compared with 62.5% in 2004.

Hotel Occupancy

Hotel occupancy across all categories of hotels and tourist guesthouses in July was 87%, a five percentage-point drop compared with the 2004 figure that can be partially explained by the 5.5% increase in Hong Kong’s room supply during the past 12 months.

Visitors’ most favoured geographic location in July was Yau Ma Tei/Mong Kok, where hotels recorded an occupancy rate of 90%, the highest in the year to date.

The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories and districts was HK$793, 12.7% higher than in July 2004.

Average hotel occupancy for January-July 2005 is 84%, two percentage points lower than in 2004. The average achieved hotel room rate is HK$885, 17.4% higher than in the first seven months of 2004.

See also: Hong Kong reports Visitor Arrival Figures for June 2005

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