Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals for June 2006

Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in the first six months of 2006 reached above 12.19 million, an 11.1% increase over the same period last year. The figure includes more than 1.88 million arrivals to the city in June, which represents a year-on-year rise of 8.3%.

Of the January-June total, some 7.56 million (62%) were classified as overnight visitors, with the remainder of over 4.63 million (38%) classified as same-day visitors. The overnight and same-day totals for June were more than 1.15 million (61.3%) and over 730,000 (38.7%) respectively. 

Arrivals from every regional source market increased in January-June, with Mainland China showing a 14% gain. South and Southeast Asia grew by 11%, Europe, Africa and the Middle East by 9.7%, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific by 9.5%, North Asia by 8.6%, the Americas by 4.6% and Taiwan by 2.4%. However, several individual markets that delivered double-digit growth in 2005 slowed to single-digit or even negative figures in the six-month period, reflecting the high base of visitors achieved in previous years. These include Australia (+9.7%), France (+6%), Germany (+5.9%) and Singapore (-0.3%).

Of the more than 6.70 million Mainland visitors in the first six months of the year, some 47.1% (over 3.16 million) travelled to Hong Kong under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS). This is a 24.4% increase over the same period last year. Some 44% (more than 422,000) of June arrivals travelled under the IVS, which represents year-on-year growth of 20%.

January-June and June 2006 Arrivals by Markets

Of the 6,706,392 Mainland arrivals in January-June, 3,160,859 travelled to Hong Kong under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS). This is 47.1% of the total and 24.4% more than in the same period in 2005. In June alone, 422,513 Mainland arrivals were IVS visitors, which is 44% of the 959,404 total and 20% more than last year.

The 1,039,810 Taiwan visitors between January and June included 171,757 (+2.3%) who arrived in June.

The 1,239,319 South and Southeast Asian arrivals in the first six months of the year included 229,564 (+19.4%) visitors in June. The best performing individual markets from January to June were the Philippines (+22.8%, 235,242), Indonesia (+21.8%, 121,291), Malaysia (+11.3%, 193,006) and Thailand (+10.7%, 196,151). All individual markets performed well in June, led by Indonesia (+40.9%).

Of the 959,447 arrivals from North Asia in January-June, 625,763 (+7.6%) came from Japan and 333,684 (+10.4%) from Korea. The region provided 157,905 visitors in June, 6.8% more than in the same month last year. 

The 888,619 arrivals from Europe, Africa and the Middle East in January-June included 127,537 (+4.7%) in June. Of the major individual markets in this region, the UK was the best performer in the first six months of the year, with 244,489 arrivals (+8.5%). January-June arrivals from Australia,  New Zealand and South Pacific stood at 318,115, of which 57,514 (+2.8%) came in June, as did 133,442 (+3.6%) of the 786,723 six-monthly arrivals from the Americas.

January-June and June 2006 Same-Day In-Town Visitors

Some 62% of all visitors to Hong Kong from January to June stayed in the city for at least one night, compared with 62.6% in the same period last year. The remaining 38% were same-day in-town visitors, who either returned home or left for another destination on the same day as arrival.

In June alone, 61.3% of all visitors were classified as overnight arrivals. This is 0.8 of a percentage point lower than in the same month in 2005. 

January-June and June 2006 Hotel Occupancy

Hotel occupancy across all categories of hotels and tourist guesthouses in January-June was 86%, three percentage points higher than in the  same months in 2005. The occupancy rate for the month of June stood at 84%, which is one percentage point higher than in 2005. This is despite the fact that Hong Kong’s hotel-room supply grew by 3.7% between June 2005 and June 2006.

The geographic location with the highest occupancy rate in the first six months of the year was Yau Ma Tei/Mong Kok, where hotels recorded a rate of 91%. It also had the highest occupancy rate in June, at 89%. 

The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories in January-June was HK$1,046, which is 16.2% higher than in the same months in 2005. The rate for the month of June was HK$940, 16.1% more than in 2005.

See also: Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals for May 2006

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