Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals in July 2009

Hong Kong's visitor arrivals in July 2009 totalled 2,378,298, a 12.2% decrease on the same month in 2008 (Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals in July 2008).

The decrease can largely be attributed to the 13.7% drop in arrivals from Mainland China, as compared with exceptional growth in the corresponding month last year, when many Mainland visitors advanced their trips to Hong Kong before the Olympics.

As for other short-haul regions, the decline since the outbreak of Swine Flu (H1N1) has narrowed, as consumers’ concerns about the disease have gradually receded. Further boosting the travel sentiments, were the attractive offers and tactical packages that many airlines and hotels were offering.

In the long-haul regions, most saw positive gain, given the lower base of arrivals last July due to the visa policy adjustment by the Mainland in the run-up to the Olympics. This is exemplified by the increase in arrivals from The Americas, as well as Europe, Africa and the Middle East by 1.2% and 2.2% respectively in July 2009.

Cumulative Arrivals for January-July 2009

For the seven-month period from January to July 2009, total visitor arrivals stood at 16,075,077, 4.9% lower than the same period last year.

With the exception of Mainland China, which achieved positive gain of 1.5% in its arrivals year-to-date, all other long- and short-haul markets registered negative growth.

Overnight vs. Same-Day, in-Town Visitors

Overall, some 56.7% of all visitors to Hong Kong in July stayed in the city for at least one night, 2.9 percentage points lower than in the same month last year.

The remaining 43.3% same-day in-town visitors either returned home or left for another destination on the same day they arrived.

From January to July 2009, close to 9.17 million or 57% of total arrivals stayed in the city for at least one night, compared with 58.4% in the same period last year. The remaining 6.91 million (43%) were classified as same-day in-town visitors.

Hotel Occupancy

Hotel occupancy across all categories of hotels in July 2009 was 71%, 18 percentage points lower than in July 2008.

The geographic locations with the highest occupancy were, as usual, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, where hotels recorded an average occupancy rate of 82%.

The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories was HK$882, 19.4% lower than in July 2008.

The table below summarises Hong Kong's visitor arrivals from the different market regions:

See also: Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals for June 2009 and Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals for July 2008.

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