Bangkok--25 Jun--Francom Asia
Figures released today (24 June) by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) show that visitor arrivals in May 2009 fell by 13.4% year-on-year to 2,027,572.
May 2009 Visitor Arrivals
In May, total arrivals from the short-haul regions decreased by 14.3%, as led by the spread of human swine flu worldwide, which has dampened consumers’ desire to travel. The impact was particularly pronounced in arrivals from North Asia and South and Southeast Asia, while in Taiwan, other than the human swine flu, the cross-strait direct links continued to affect arrivals.
For Mainland China, both individual and group tour visitors decreased during the month, leading to a drop of 9.6% in overall arrivals. The shortfall was mainly driven by the impact of human swine flu, compounded by the promulgation of the travel agency ordinance.
As for the long-haul regions, visitor arrivals decreased by 9.5% during the month, as the demand for long-distance travel remained weak, mainly due to the poor economy and consumer sentiment.
January to May 2009 Visitor Arrivals
For the five-month period from January to May 2009, total visitor arrivals stood at 11,870,775, 1.4% lower than the same period last year. Notwithstanding the decline in May, Mainland China continued to enjoy positive gain of 7.4% in its arrivals year-to-date. The table below summarises visitor arrivals from different market regions in May and in the period of January to May 2009:
May January — May
Market Regions 2009 Change vs. 2008 2009 Change vs. 2008
The Americas 124,192 -11.0% 634,315 -15.5%
Europe, Africa and the Middle East 144,252 -6.5% 807,009 -15.0%
Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific 53,709 -13.7% 282,111 -11.7%
North Asia 126,952 -34.1% 731,955 -23.1%
South and Southeast Asia 219,896 -20.9% 1,109,815 -5.1%
Taiwan 147,975 -16.4% 802,663 -10.9%
Mainland China 1,167,230 -9.6% 7,249,539 +7.4%
Total* 2,027,572 -13.4% 11,870,775 -1.4%
* Figure includes arrivals from Macau SAR
Overnight vs. Same-Day, in-Town Visitors
Overall, some 56.7% of all visitors to Hong Kong in May stayed in the city for at least one night, 1.7 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 May 2009, close to 6.83 million or 57.5% of total arrivals stayed in the city for at least one night, compared with 58.2% in the same period last year. The remaining 5.04 million (42.5%) were classified as same-day in-town visitors.
Hotel Occupancy
Hotel occupancy across all categories of hotels in May 2009 was 64%, 17 percentage points lower than in May 2008. The geographic locations with the highest occupancy were Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, where hotels recorded an average occupancy rate of 71%. The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories was HK$973, 14.6% lower than in May 2008.
From January to May 2009, hotel occupancy across all categories of hotel was 76%, as compared with 84% in the same months of last year. The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories was HK$1,051, 16.6% below that of the same period in 2008.
Note:
Visitor arrivals mentioned in this release include both overnight visitors and same-day in-town visitors. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), visitors are divided into two categories:
(i) tourists or overnight visitors, if the trip involves an overnight stay; and
(ii) same-day visitors or excursionists, if the trip does not involve an overnight stay.
Walaiklao Kumwong
Francom Asia
Tel. (66) 02 233 43 29 - 30 ext. 22
Fax. (66) 02 236 80 30