Hong Kong Tourism Industry Council: Expected overnight visitors to account for about 50% during National Day Golden Week; retail sector to benefit overall.

Hong Kong Tourism Industry Council Chairman Tam Kwong-shun said that during the National Day Golden Week from October 1 to 7, many mainland visitors are expected to choose same-day return trips to Hong Kong, with overnight visitors accounting for about 50% or more, among whom tour group members generally stay two to three nights. Even though hotel room rates in the industry recorded double-digit increases this year, bookings for the first three days of October are already close to fully booked, which he described as an ideal situation. He also expected that the catering sector and retail sectors such as cosmetics and electronic products will benefit during the Golden Week, and said he is optimistic about the overall consumer atmosphere. Tam Kwong-shun said that this year, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the mainland National Day Golden Week are close together, so if mainland residents take three days of leave, they can enjoy a continuous 13-day "super golden week" holiday. Recently, mainland visitors have had a relatively high willingness to spend on outbound travel, and coupled with major events such as the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and the "International Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival" held at Victoria Park, visitors are being attracted to Hong Kong. He pointed out that many mainland residents choose to travel at off-peak times, arriving in Hong Kong earlier during the Mid-Autumn Festival before National Day, making the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong during the Mid-Autumn period encouraging, and he believes some of them will later move on to other cities in the Greater Bay Area. Regarding recent cases in which travel agents and tour guides were suspected of forcing tourists to shop and had their licences revoked, Tam Kwong-shun said the incidents reflect the Travel Industry Authority's strict enforcement against violations, which strengthens tourists' confidence and can bring positive effects.