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The tourism industry has been an important part of the economy of Hong Kong since it shifted to a service sector model in the late 1980s and early 90s. There has been a sharp increase of domestic tourists from Mainland China following the introduction of the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) in 2003.
The total tourism expenditure associated with inbound tourism reached HK$7,333 per capita in 2011. According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Overall visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in 2010 totalled just over 36 million, a 21.8% increase over the previous year. The numbers included approximately 22.5 million mainland Chinese arrivals, 8.2 million short-haul (excluding Mainland) arrivals, and 4.8 million long-haul arrivals. [1] In July 2011 more than 3.8 million visitors arrived in Hong Kong, equivalent to more than half of Hong Kong's population and setting an outright record for a single month. [2]
Along with the strong growth in the number of Mainland visitors, most other long and short-haul markets are also performing healthily with double-digit growth over 2006. Among long-haul markets, Europe, Africa and the Middle East took the lead with arrivals of 1,916,861, an 11.1% increase that made this Hong Kong's best-performing market region in 2006.
While facing increasing competition from Mainland cities and Macau, the Hong Kong Tourism Board works closely with authorities and trade to make Hong Kong an essential component in all combo and multi-destination itineraries.
Tourism, along with international trade and financial services are the three main sources of income for Hong Kong. According to Hong Kong's finance secretary, since the protests of 2019, tourism has plunged by 40% compared to 2018. [3]
In December 2006, there were 612 hotels and tourist guest houses in Hong Kong, with 52,512 rooms. The average occupancy rate across all categories of hotels and tourist guesthouses was 87% for the whole of 2006, a one-percentage-point growth compared with 2005 despite the 7.4% increase in Hong Kong's room supply between December 2005 and December 2006. During 2006, 62.7% of all visitors stayed one night or longer, which is a trend reflecting Hong Kong's increasing importance as a regional transport hub.
The Tourism Commission was established in May 1999 to promote Hong Kong as Asia's premier international city for all visitors. A Tourism Strategy Group, comprising representatives from the Government, the HKTB and various sectors of the tourism industry has been established to advise the Government on tourism development from a strategic perspective.
Most visitors arriving to Hong Kong were from the following country or territory of residence: [4] [5] [6] [7]
Country/Territory | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11/2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
Mainland China | 30,942,374 | 26,760,453 | 43,774,685 | 51,038,230 | 44,445,259 | 42,778,145 | 45,842,360 | 47,247,675 |
Taiwan | 1,131,203 | 783,778 | 1,538,915 | 1,925,234 | 2,010,755 | 2,011,428 | 2,015,797 | 2,031,883 |
Philippines | 1,047,646 | 763,778 | 875,897 | 894,821 | 894,489 | 791,171 | 704,082 | 634,744 |
United States | 795,916 | 594,752 | 1,107,165 | 1,304,232 | 1,215,629 | 1,211,539 | 1,181,024 | 1,130,566 |
South Korea | 758,168 | 402,999 | 1,042,540 | 1,421,411 | 1,487,670 | 1,392,367 | 1,243,293 | 1,251,047 |
Japan | 502,707 | 346,389 | 1,078,836 | 1,287,773 | 1,230,010 | 1,092,329 | 1,049,272 | 1,078,766 |
Thailand | 460,099 | 450,372 | 467,048 | 571,606 | 560,207 | 594,615 | 529,410 | 485,121 |
Singapore | 391,036 | 400,029 | 453,182 | 610,508 | 627,612 | 674,006 | 675,411 | 737,911 |
Malaysia | 348,776 | 258,191 | 392,562 | 510,601 | 516,701 | 535,542 | 544,688 | 589,886 |
India | 343,565 | 207,655 | 337,997 | 386,681 | 392,853 | 480,906 | 531,770 | 516,084 |
Australia | 319,067 | 240,705 | 505,523 | 580,167 | 567,881 | 575,812 | 574,270 | 603,841 |
Indonesia | 313,313 | 252,432 | 375,781 | 427,007 | 482,022 | 464,406 | 413,568 | 492,004 |
Canada | 289,358 | 209,028 | 318,479 | 377,992 | 370,335 | 369,363 | 358,448 | 354,408 |
United Kingdom | 268,253 | 212,286 | 518,378 | 572,739 | 555,353 | 551,930 | 529,505 | 520,855 |
Germany | 153,145 | 106,767 | 217,779 | 226,819 | 225,183 | 226,594 | 213,802 | 218,530 |
France | 132,809 | 86,255 | 177,768 | 201,850 | 204,130 | 213,641 | 209,825 | 217,065 |
Russia | 118,164 | 56,063 | 138,679 | 161,916 | 148,098 | 142,664 | 151,469 | 202,141 |
Netherlands | 73,820 | 49,530 | 85,227 | 93,863 | 94,826 | 95,762 | 91,596 | 92,795 |
Vietnam | 43,778 | 34,662 | 44,406 | 56,807 | 55,652 | 59,443 | 58,969 | 55,013 |
Total | 40,247,236 | 33,999,660 | 55,912,609 | 65,147,555 | 58,472,157 | 56,654,903 | 59,307,596 | 60,838,836 |
The following locations are areas generally marked as main attractions.
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Including New Kowloon
Including the Outlying Islands
Because Hong Kong benefits from favorable taxation rules, it is a favored location for tourists from elsewhere in China to purchase luxury goods like cosmetics, jewelry, and designer fashion goods. [8] : 116
Hong Kong has a number a events throughout the year that are aimed at attracting visitors. The authority claims that Hong Kong is an Events Capital of Asia.
First organised in 1996, the International Chinese New Year Night Parade is one of the most important celebratory events during Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. Originally it was held during day time on Hong Kong Island, and from 2004 onward the event has been held during night time in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Apart from the decorated floats, the parade also features local and international performance groups. [9]
The 2018 parade attracted over 150,000 spectators, half of them were visitors. [10]
To facilitate entry of visitors, various measures were introduced in 2002. The quota of the Hong Kong Tour Group Scheme of Mainland visitors has been abolished since January 2002. The number of Mainland travel agents authorized to organize such tours has also increased significantly. Nationals from some 170 countries can visit Hong Kong visa free for period from seven days to 180 days. The Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) was introduced on 28 July 2003. The Scheme has been gradually extended and now covers Guangdong province, Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Tianjin and nine cities in Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In 2006, over 6.6 million Mainland citizens traveled to Hong Kong under the IVS, which is 20.2% more than 2005.
The HKTB continues to promote the destination to business and leisure travellers through its worldwide "Hong Kong – Live it, Love it!" campaign. Leveraging on the opening of several new attractions from 2005 onwards, the HKTB has designated 2006 as "Discover Hong Kong Year". The global marketing campaign makes use of a series of strategic promotions to showcase the new image of Hong Kong and promote it as a "must-visit" destination in 2006. The HKTB began its travel trade promotion in May 2005 and rolled out the consumer promotions worldwide in late 2005. Aloagreement, a series of joint overseas marketing initiatives is being conducted with Macau and the nine provincial tourism bureaus concerned.
In the years up to till 2012, birth tourism in Hong Kong had been increasing. [11] Pregnant mainland women seeking to give birth in Hong Kong, specifically to benefit from the right of abode. [12] Their parents came from mainland to give birth in Hong Kong, which resulted in their children gaining the right to abode and enjoy social welfare in the city. Hong Kong citizens expressed concerns that the pregnant women and babies put heavier burden on Hong Kong's medical system. [13] Some of them even called mainland people "locusts" which take away Hong Kong's resources from locals. [14] Over 170,000 new births where both parents were mainland people between 2001 and 2011, [15] of which 32,653 were born in 2010. [13] CY Leung's first public announcement on policy as Chief Executive-elect was to impose a 'zero' quota on mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong. Leung further underlined that those who did may not be able to secure the right of abode for their offspring in Hong Kong. [12]
Since 2012, there have been more mainland parallel traders coming to the northern parts of Hong Kong to import goods and export them back to mainland, which earns them some money for each transfer. Some products that are popular among these traders, such as infant formula, faced shortage in Hong Kong for an extended time as a result. [16] This made the government impose restrictions on the amount of milk powder exports from Hong Kong. [17] Besides, since northern places like Sheung Shui became the transaction centres of the traders, this resulted in discontent from nearby residents. [18]
The Individual Visit Scheme begun on 28 July 2003 allowing travelers from Mainland China to visit Hong Kong and Macau on an individual basis; prior to the Scheme, Mainland residents could only visit on business visas or on group tours.
Right of abode in Hong Kong entitles a person to live and work in the territory without any restrictions or conditions of stay. Someone who has that right is a Hong Kong permanent resident. Foreign nationals may acquire the right of abode after meeting a seven-year residency requirement and are given most rights usually associated with citizenship, including the right to vote in regional elections. However, they are not entitled to hold territorial passports or stand for office in some Legislative Council constituencies, unless they also naturalise as Chinese citizens.
The Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao, colloquially known as the One-way Permit, is a travel document issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the People's Republic of China. This passport-size document is issued for its bearers, Chinese citizens residing in the mainland with relatives in Hong Kong or Macau, to proceed to the special administrative regions for residency.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is a Government-subverted body founded in 2001. The HKTB replaced the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) that was established in 1957. It has 15 branch offices and representative offices in 6 markets around the world, and its primary mission is to maximize the social and economic contribution that tourism makes to the community of Hong Kong and consolidate the city's position as a desired destination. The HKTA works with the Government, travel industry and other partners to market and promote Hong Kong worldwide, improving the range and quality of visitor facilities, tourism service standards and enhancing the experiences of visitors.
New immigrants in Hong Kong generally refers to migrants from mainland China (Mainlanders). Despite its literal meaning, the term is rarely used to describe newly arrived immigrants from regions other than Mainland China. Since the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to The People's Republic of China, increasing numbers of migrants from mainland China have been coming to the territory.
Birth tourism is the practice of traveling to another country or city for the purpose of giving birth in that country. The main reason for birth tourism is to obtain citizenship for the child in a country with birthright citizenship. Such a child is sometimes called an "anchor baby" if their citizenship is intended to help their parents obtain permanent residency in the country. Other reasons for birth tourism include access to public schooling, healthcare, sponsorship for the parents in the future, hedge against corruption and political instability in the children’s home country. Popular destinations include the United States and Canada. Another target for birth tourism is Hong Kong, where some mainland Chinese citizens travel to give birth to gain right of abode for their children.
The Taiwan Entry Permit (入臺證), formally the Exit & Entry Permit Taiwan Republic of China, is an entry permit issued by the National Immigration Agency in Taiwan for Chinese citizens from mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau to enter and exit the Taiwan Area.
The People's Republic of China passport is a passport issued to citizens of the People's Republic of China for the purpose of international travel, and entitles its bearer to the protection of China's consular officials overseas.
Visitors to the Republic of China (Taiwan) must obtain a visa or authorization in advance, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or countries whose nationals are eligible for visa on arrival. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
The visa policy of Hong Kong deals with the requirements in which a foreign national wishing to enter Hong Kong through one of the 15 immigration control points must meet to obtain an entry permit or Visa, which depending on the traveller's nationality, may be required to travel to, enter, and remain in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Visitors from over 145 countries are permitted without Visa entry for periods ranging from 7 to 180 days, to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for tourism or certain business-related activities. All visitors must hold a passport valid for more than 1 month.
The Macau Resident Identity Card or BIR is an official identity card issued by the Identification Services Bureau of Macau. There are two types of Resident Identity Cards: one for permanent residents and one for non-permanent residents.
Hong Kong West Kowloon station is the southern terminus of and the only station on the Hong Kong section of the Guangshengang XRL. The station connects to China's high-speed rail (HSR) network across the border through dedicated tunnels and includes a Mainland Port Area where the laws of (Mainland) China are enforced. It was constructed by the MTR Corporation Limited as the project manager commissioned by the Hong Kong Government, through subcontractors.
Concord New Energy Group Limited is an investment holding company and is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange with its Hong Kong headquarters at Admiralty, Hong Kong. The company had a management office in Beijing. The Company and its subsidiaries are engaged in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), operation and maintenance of wind power plants, the manufacture of wind power equipment and other wind power related business. The listed company and its predecessor, had a few former names: Nam Pei Hong (Holding) Limited, Nam Pei Hong International Holdings Limited, N P H International Holdings Limited, Hong Kong Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited and most recently China Windpower Group Limited.
Lui Che Woo, GBM, GBS, MBE, JP was a Hong Kong business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He founded K. Wah Company in 1955, which later became a multinational conglomerate, K. Wah Group. The group has two listed flagships, K. Wah International Holdings Limited and Galaxy Entertainment Group Limited, as well as major companies such as K. Wah Construction Materials Limited and Stanford Hotels International, and over 200 subsidiaries around the world. K. Wah Group is engaged in various businesses including properties, entertainment and leisure, hospitality and construction materials across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia and major cities in the world.
Director of Immigration v. Chong Fung Yuen was a 2001 case in Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal. Chief Justice Andrew Li, in the Court's unanimous opinion, affirmed lower court decisions that Chinese citizens born in Hong Kong enjoyed the right of abode regardless of the Hong Kong immigration status of their parents. The case touched on issues of interpretation of the Hong Kong Basic Law, both common law interpretation by courts in Hong Kong as well as interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) of the People's Republic of China. Professor Albert Chen of the University of Hong Kong describes the case as part of a "period of elaboration and consolidation of the regime of rights in the Hong Kong SAR", lasting roughly from 2000 to 2002.
Mainland Chinese or mainlanders are Chinese people who live in or have recently emigrated from mainland China, defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) except for Hong Kong, Macau, and the partly-PRC-controlled South China Sea Islands, and also excluding certain territories that are claimed by the PRC but not controlled, namely Taiwan a.k.a. the "Republic of China" (ROC), which is a state with limited recognition, and other associated territories that are ruled by Taiwan. The term also refers to historical groups of people of Chinese origin who immigrated to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan during the 20th century, especially in the context of specific historical events.
In January 2012, Peking University professor Kong Qingdong made televised remarks suggesting that many Hongkongers were disloyal to China and still harboured a colonial mentality. Kong Qingdong called Hongkongers "dogs" in response to an online video posted about a mainland Chinese child eating on the subway, which is prohibited by MTR regulations. Similar laws like this did not exist in mainland China until 2020. This prompted a series of campaigns against Kong Qingdong in Hong Kong. About 150 people gathered at the Central Government's Liaison Office on 22 January to protest Kong's remarks.
The Hong Kong mainland China driving scheme is a cross-border driving scheme which allows drivers of cars with primary registration in mainland China to drive directly to Hong Kong. Currently, mainland cars have the driver seat on the left, while HK cars have driver seat on the right. Historically HK was a British colony before 1997, and adopted driving on the same side of the road as the United Kingdom.
The term "anchor babies in Hong Kong" refers to children born in Hong Kong whose parents are not Hong Kong permanent residents.
The Hong Kong–Mainland China conflict refers to the tense relations between Hong Kong and mainland China. Various factors have contributed to this tension, including different interpretations of the "one country, two systems" principle; the policies of the Hong Kong and central governments to encourage mainland visitors to Hong Kong; and the changing economic environment. There is resentment in Hong Kong towards the mainland over convergence and assimilation, as well as the increasing interference from the government of China and its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Hong Kong's internal affairs.
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