
Visitor arrivals in May top 4 million
Visitor arrivals in May top 4 million
The Tourism Board says last month's arrivals totalled 4.08 million, representing a 20 percent year-on-year increase. File photo: RTHK
Hong Kong saw more than 4 million visitor arrivals in May, fuelled by the mainland's Labour Day Golden Week holiday and citywide events, the Tourism Board said on Monday.
In a statement, the board said last month's arrivals totalled 4.08 million, representing a 20 percent year-on-year increase.
This surge contributed to a strong first five months of the year, with total tourist arrivals topping 20 million between January and May, a 12 percent rise from the same period last year.
About 15.2 million arrivals in the first five months of the year were from mainland, marking a 10 percent rise from the previous year, whereas non-mainland visitors totalled about 5 million, an 18 percent increase, with significant growth from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the Airport Authority said it handled 4.86 million passengers in May, an increase of almost 20 percent compared with a year ago.
The authority attributed the growth to more transfer and transit passengers, particularly to and from the mainland and Southeast Asia.
It added that cargo volume recorded a 1.4 percent year-on-year last month to 422,000 tonnes, supported by a 12.7 percent rise in transshipments, with Europe and the Middle East being key contributors.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTHK
3 hours ago
- RTHK
'New Payment Connect service is fast and convenient'
'New Payment Connect service is fast and convenient' The Monetary Authority said Payment Connect had a smooth start on Sunday. File photo: RTHK Finance sector lawmaker Ronick Chan on Sunday said a new cross-border electronic payment service is convenient for both Hong Kong and mainland people. His comment came as the Payment Connect had a smooth start, with thousands of payments made on the first day of operation. There were 2,000 northbound transactions and 7,400 southbound payments made as of noon on Sunday, according to the Monetary Authority. The new service links up Hong Kong's Faster Payment System with the mainland's Internet Banking Payment System, allowing FPS users to transfer up to HK$10,000 a day per account to the mainland, with an annual cap set at HK$200,000. Speaking to RTHK, Chan said the new system has proven to be a quick and easy money transfer mechanism. He said in the past, remittances had to be handled by banks during office hours and the process took one to two days to be completed. 'Right now, it takes just a few seconds' time to complete the whole transaction. I think it really offers members of the public in both the mainland and Hong Kong a very convenient way of completing their money transfer,' he said. Chan also said the current limit for transactions is sufficient for users, adding that people can transfer money via different bank accounts if necessary.


RTHK
7 hours ago
- RTHK
HK's financial centre position strengthening: FS
HK's financial centre position strengthening: FS Paul Chan said the SAR's economy has demonstrated strong resilience, achieving nine consecutive quarters of GDP growth. File photo: RTHK Financial Secretary Paul Chan says Hong Kong's position as an international financial centre is strengthening, citing increased trading volumes and its leading global IPO market. Writing in his weekly blog on Sunday, Chan said the SAR's economy has demonstrated strong resilience, achieving nine consecutive quarters of GDP growth and surpassing HK$3 trillion. He said the stock market regained an upward trajectory over the past year, marked by significant increases in trading volume, with the average daily turnover now exceeding HK$240 billion. Chan noted that since Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing added chapter 18A to its main board listings rules – enabling listings for biotech companies without revenue or profits – the number of such companies has risen significantly. "Since the implementation of the '18A' reform in 2018, the number of newly listed companies in the new economy and biotechnology sectors has risen to about 370, accounting for approximately 14 percent of all listed companies, with a market capitalisation share exceeding 27 percent and trading volume share surpassing 30 percent," he said. "The '18C' reform introduced in 2023, along with the recent proposal for a 'Technology Enterprises Channel' and the facilitation of the return of China concept stocks listed in the United States, reflects our ongoing assessment of circumstances and commitment to reform, continually enhancing the attractiveness and competitiveness of the stock market." Turning to innovation, the finance chief reported significant investment in research and development (R&D) and growth in start-ups, expressing expectations for Hong Kong to become a top cross-border wealth management hub. "Innovation and technology is another important engine for Hong Kong's economic development. Local R&D expenditure approached HK$33 billion in 2023, rising 10 percent year-on-year. The number of local start-ups reached a record high of about 4,700 by the end of last year," he said. "Science Park and Cyberport, as flagship innovation and technology hubs, have nurtured and supported 22 listed companies and 20 unicorns, with their start-ups holding over 700 intellectual property rights." Chan also said he will lead a delegation of about 30 start-up representatives to the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin. He said the goal is to introduce Hong Kong's examples in innovative technology R&D and application to international investors and innovation leaders.


South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
What is the ‘Hong Kong Summer Viva' campaign? And what deals are on offer?
Hong Kong is launching a summer campaign to electrify spending among tourists and locals on Monday, with the promotional effort offering perks and discounts on goods and services ranging from transport to theme parks. The effort has seen the Tourism Board team up with theme park operators, retailers and transport providers to launch the 'Hong Kong Summer Viva' drive. Here is what you need to know. 1. What is the Hong Kong Summer Viva campaign? The campaign is being spearheaded by the board to encourage tourists and residents to spend more in the city during the peak summer travel season. The promotion effort brings together more than 150 partners, including major attraction operators, hotels, restaurants and retailers. It also aligns with the board's recently stated goal of focusing on the quality and duration of visits, rather than purely looking at arrival numbers, with the new direction of 'packaging' together attractions and events to create more compelling travel itineraries. 2. What about exclusive tourist offers? In a bid to entice overseas visitors, the campaign has eight offers exclusive to tourists that will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.