Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals for December 2007 and Year 2007

Hong Kong visitor arrivals in 2007 reached a record high of 28,169,293, an increase of 11.6% on the 25.25 million arrivals welcomed in 2006.

All long and short-haul market regions showed positive gain in 2007. Arrivals from Mainland China passed the 15-million mark for the first time to reach 15,485,789, 13.9% more than in 2006 and 55% of the 2007 total, while non-Mainland arrivals also registered notable gain of 8.8% at 12,683,504.

Among the long-haul market regions, Europe, Africa and the Middle East led the field, with arrivals growing by 14.2% to 2,189,424, followed by the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific. As for the short-haul markets, South and Southeast Asia enjoyed a solid gain of 8.6% to become Hong Kong’s second largest source market region, contributed by promotions targeting the young and family segments jointly launched by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the travel trade during the year.

Arrivals from different market regions in 2007:

  
Among the individual markets, South Korea and the Philippines – which have been identified by the HKTB as high-potential markets – achieved the highest growth rate at 21.9% and 21.8% respectively. The Middle East region, earmarked as an emerging market in HKTB’s 2008-09 work plan, achieved overall growth of 23.7%, with some countries enjoying increases as much as 40%, confirming the region’s high potential for further development and growth.

2007 Full Year and December 2007

In 2007, Hong Kong welcomed 15,485,789 arrivals from Mainland China, 13.9% more than in 2006. Of these, 8,593,141 arrived under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), 55.5% of the total and 28.8% more than in 2006. For December 2007, the 1,523,139 arrivals included 879,627 travelling under the IVS, 57.8% of the total and 32.2% more than in December 2006.

Arrivals from South and Southeast Asia reached 2,888,106, confirming the region’s position as Hong Kong’s second largest source region. A number of individual markets achieved recording-breaking performance, including the Philippines (552,942, +21.8%), Malaysia (504,487, +13.1%) and Indonesia (366,217, +13.0%). The region’s robust performance was also seen in December 2007, with arrivals increasing by 15% to 366,724.

Visitor numbers from Taiwan rose by 2.8% to 2,238,731 in 2007, while monthly arrivals for December grew by 6.7% to 199,573.

Arrivals from North Asia grew by 8.4% in 2007 to 2,200,567, with the increase led by the remarkable growth from South Korea (876,231, +21.9%). Japanese arrivals grew by 1.0% to 1,324,336. In December, monthly arrivals from North Asia numbered 225,725, an 11.2% increase over the same month in 2006.

Among long-haul market regions, Europe, Africa and the Middle East took the lead with arrivals of 2,189,424, a 14.2% increase that also made this Hong Kong’s best-performing market region in 2007. Arrivals from the United Kingdom grew by 16.4%, reaching an all-time high of 601,168. Other smaller markets, such as France (231,091, +15.1%) and Germany (234,763, +9.8%), also gained satisfactory improvement, while such emerging markets as Russia and the Middle East achieved gain of 12.8% and 23.7%. Monthly arrivals from the region in December grew by 8.4% to 176,151.

The Americas recorded 1,783,609 arrivals in 2007, 9.4% more than in 2006. The United States provided the bulk of arrivals at 1,230,927, an increase of 6.2% over 2006, while visitor numbers from Canada grew by 17.7% to 395,167. December arrivals from the Americas reached 156,801, a 15.7% increase over the same month in 2006.

Arrivals from Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific reached a new high of 756,964 in 2007, a 13.4% rise over the previous year. Of these, 633,599 came from Australia, 12.4% more than in 2006, while New Zealand provided a further 117,215, a 19.9% increase. December arrivals from the region reached 72,153, a rise of 14.2%.

Same-Day In-Town Visitors

Of the 28,169,293 visitors who came to the city in 2007, some 17.15 million (60.9%) stayed overnight, 1.8 percentage points fewer than the 62.7% who did so in 2006. The remaining 11 million were classified as “same-day in-town” visitors, departing for another destination on the same day as arrival.

Most long-haul visitors stayed one night or more, including 79.2% of 2007 arrivals from Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, 74.6% from the Americas and 72.9% from Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

As for the short-haul regions, some 74.8% of visitors from South and Southeast Asia and 65.4% from North Asia stayed overnight. The 58.7% of visitors from the Mainland who stayed at least one night in Hong Kong represent a 3.4 percentage-point fall compared with 2006, as more and more Mainland residents made use of the IVS to make short, consumption visits to Hong Kong.

Taiwan continued to provide the highest number of same-day in-town visitors, as many travellers from this market are in transit to or from the Mainland and other regional destinations. Despite so, the percentage of Taiwan visitors staying overnight remained at 31%.

Hotel Occupancy

The record December arrivals ensured that hotel occupancy averaged 93% for the month, compared with 90% in December 2006. For the full year 2007, the average occupancy rate across all categories of hotels was 86%. This is one percentage point lower over the previous year, in spite of the 9.3% increase in Hong Kong’s room supply between December 2006 and December 2007.

Occupancy for top-tariff hotels averaged 84% in 2007, a one-percentage-point decrease over 2006, while those in the second and third tiers reached 88% and 86%, as compared with 88% and 87% in the previous year. Hotels in Yau Ma Tei / Mong Kok achieved the highest average occupancy over the year, at 90%.

The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories and districts in 2007 was HK$1,215, a 11.4% improvement on the 2006 figure.

See also: Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals for November 2007 and other recent news regarding: Travel News Asia, Hong Kong, Visitor Arrivals, MasterIndex