Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals for March 2007

Visitors to Hong Kong in March 2007 exceeded 2.16 million, an increase of 2.9% compared with the same month in 2006. This brings cumulative arrivals for the first three months of 2007 to more than 6.61 million, a rise of 6.3%.

Over 1.29 million March arrivals (59.9% of the total) stayed in the city for at least one night, while the remaining 867,000 (40.1%) were classified as same-day in-town visitors. The cumulative January-March total for overnight visitors stands at more than 4.05 million (61.3%), with over 2.56 million (38.7%) leaving on the day of arrival.

Arrivals from key regional source markets were:

• Mainland China: 1,086,645 (-3.5%);
• Taiwan: 167,096 (-0.6%);
• South & Southeast Asia: 240,444 (8.3%);
• North Asia: 189,943 (7.5%);
• Europe, Africa & the Middle East: 208,594 (21.8%);
• The Americas: 161,509 (8.5%); and
• Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific: 61,402 (19.4%).

While arrivals from the Mainland fell by 3.5% in March, largely due to a slowdown in travel following the Chinese New Year holiday, overall visitor numbers from China in the first three months of 2007 increased by 5.2% to 3.77 million. Travellers under the Individual Visit Scheme in March numbered more than 553,000, 50.9% of the Mainland total and 7.3% more than in the same month last year.

Arrivals by Markets

The 1,086,645 arrivals from the Mainland in March represented a fall of 3.5% compared with the same month in 2006. This took the total for the first three months of 2007 to more than 3.77 million, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. The number of arrivals to Hong Kong in March travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) reached more than 553,000, 50.9% of the total, representing 7.3% growth over the same month in 2006. This took cumulative January-March IVS arrivals to more than 2.12 million, 56.1% of visitors from the Mainland.

Arrivals from Taiwan numbered 167,096, a slight fall of 0.6% compared with March 2006. Cumulative arrivals for January-March number 525,742, 0.2% less than the same three months in 2006.

The 240,444 arrivals from South and Southeast Asia represented a rise of 8.3% compared with March 2006, bringing the cumulative arrivals for the first quarter to 566,339, 4.2% more than in 2006. Indonesia showed the highest growth at 26.8%, while the Philippines (24.1%) also performed strongly in March 2007.

There were 189,943 visitors from North Asia in March, comprising 64,220 visitors from South Korea, a rise of 19.1%, and 125,723 from Japan, an increase of 2.4%. Cumulative arrivals for January-March number 545,268, 10.3% more than in 2006, with South Korean arrivals up by 19.7% and those from Japan by 5.2%.

The 208,594 (21.8%) arrivals from Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the best-performing long-haul market region in March, took the cumulative arrivals for January-March to 500,060, a 17.6% increase. Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific’s 61,402 (19.4%) visitors brought the January-March total to 163,351, a growth of 9.2%, while the Americas’ 161,509 (8.5%) visitors took cumulative arrivals from the region to 395,396, up 6.8%.

March 2007 Same-Day In-Town Visitors

Some 59.9% of all visitors to Hong Kong in March stayed in the city for at least one night, which is 1.3 percentage points lower than for the same month last year. The remaining 40.1% same-day in-town visitors either returned home or left for another destination on the same day as arrival.

 March 2007 Hotel Occupancy

Hotel occupancy across all categories of hotels in March 2007 was 89%, which is two percentage points lower than in March 2006.

The geographic location with the highest occupancy in March was, as normal, Yau Ma Tei/Mong Kok, where hotels recorded a rate of 93%.

The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories was HK$1,315, 18.2% higher than in March 2006.

The average hotel occupancy for January-March 2007 is 85.0%, three percentage points lower than in 2006. The average achieved hotel room rate is $1,172, 14.1% higher than in the same period of 2006.

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