The Christmas and New Year holidays brought more business to Hong Kong's
tourism and retail sectors, thanks to the increasing number of visitors from the
mainland in the last week of the year.
Altogether, 61,682 mainlanders
entered Hong Kong on December 23; 5,918 of them through the airport, and 38,897
and 16,867 through the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau borders in Shenzhen.
Though
fewer mainlanders entered the city during the Christmas holidays, their numbers
rose on December 31 when 5,158 landed at the airport, 25,184 and 10,648 crossed
the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau borders.
The rising number of tourists from the
mainland came as another boost for retail business.
Promotion and
Advertising Manager for Times Square Vernon Ma said yesterday that the average
customer flow during the holidays was 170,000 a day. "It's a 15 percent increase
from last year's figures," Ma said.
"We received plenty of enquiries and
positive response from mainland tourists, who appeared to be very eager
shoppers."
The enthusiasm was also palpable at the 41st Hong Kong Brands
and Products Expo in Victoria Park in the busy shopping district of Causeway
Bay. The expo was a major attraction for shoppers.
Many other customers
in Delon Stereo and Electronics corroborated Zou.The shop is in Hong Kong's
prime shopping and entertainment district of Tsim Sha Tsui. A 37-year-old from
Beijing, surnamed Wu, said he was satisfied with the service.
But some
visitors were not too happy with the services. Ms Guo, a Guangzhou university
student, said many of her friends preferred shopping in Macao because they felt
the quality of Hong Kong retailers' services had deteriorated after the city's
economic recovery.
(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)