Tourism in Hong Kong: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|none}}

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{{Economy ofUse Hong Kong English|date=July 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}{{Economy of Hong Kong}}

[[File:Hong Kong at night from Victoria Peak.jpg|thumb|Victoria Harbour at night from [[Victoria Peak]]]]

The '''tourism''' industry has been an important part of the [[economy of Hong Kong]] since it shifted to a [[Tertiary sector of industry|service sector]] model in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There has been a sharp increase of domestic tourists from [[mainland China]] following the introduction of the [[Individual Visit Scheme]] (IVS) in 2003.

The '''[[tourism|tourism industry]]''' is one of the major pillars of the [[economy of Hong Kong|economy]] of '''[[Hong Kong]]'''.

== OverviewBackground ==

The total tourism expenditure associated with inbound tourism reached {{dollarsign|HKD}}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.<ref>[http://partnernet.hktourismboard.com/pnweb/jsp/doc/listDoc.jsp?doc_id=135789 Release of Provisional Visitor Arrivals for 2010], Hong Kong Tourism Board, 7 January 2011</ref> 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.<ref>[http://partnernet.hktourismboard.com/pnweb/jsp/doc/listDoc.jsp?doc_id=139521 Visitor Arrivals in July Exceed 3.8 Million to Break Single-Month Record], Hong Kong Tourism Board, 26 August 2011</ref>

The total tourism expenditure associated to inbound tourism reached HK$91.8 billion in 2004. Visitor arrivals showed a strong recovery throughout 2004, reaching 21.81 million, a 40.4 per cent year-on-year increase. This not only surpassed arrivals for the whole of 2003 but also topped the previous record of 16.57 million arrivals in a full year, set in 2002. 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 2003. Some of our key source markets even achieved best-ever results in 2004 including the Mainland China, the US, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and India. From January to April 2005, visitor arrivals continued its growing momentum with an 11.1% growth and reached 7.41 million. Looking ahead, with the opening of the Hong Kong Disneyland in September 2005 and other major tourism attractions in early 2006, the outlook of the tourism industry is expected to remain buoyant in the next two years. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) forecasts total arrivals for 2005 to reach 23.4 million. The total tourism expenditure associated to inbound tourism is also expected to reach HK$97.8 billion in 2005.

Along with the strong growth in the number of [[Mainland China|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.

== Accommodation and length of stay ==

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 [[Travel itinerary|itineraries]].

In April 2005, Hong Kong had 107 hotels, with 41 444 rooms. The average occupancy rate for 2004 was 88 per cent, an 18 percentage points growth compared with 2003. From January to April 2005, the average occupancy rate was 84 per cent. The average length of stay of overnight visitors in 2004 was 3.7 nights.

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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-tourism-idUSKCN1VU0GO|title=Hong Kong August visitors plunge 40% year-on-year, hotels...|date=2019-09-09|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-09-09|language=en}}</ref>

== Accommodation and length of stay ==

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.

== Tourism Commission ==

The [[Commissioner for Tourism|Tourism Commission (TC)]] was established in May 1999 to coordinate within government various tourism development efforts and to provide better policy support and leadership on the part of government to the development of tourism in Hong Kong. The Commission’s task is to establish and promote Hong Kong as Asia’sAsia's premier international city, a world-class destination for leisure and businessall visitors. To fulfill this mission systematically, the Commission needs to ensure that tourism receives proper recognition as one of the major sectors of the economy, with the industry, the HKTB and the Government working in harmony, and bringing in the community at large. It is essential for the trade and the Government to work closely together. 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. Tourist

==Statistics==

==Attractions and facilities==

:''main article: [[Hong Kong landmarks and tourist attractions]]''

The Government has plans to develop a wide-range of diversified tourist attractions in Hong Kong with a view to enhancing our overall attractiveness as a premier tourist destination. A number of enhancement projects are being carried out to give a facelift to the existing popular tourist areas. Beautification of the Sai Kung waterfront and the first phase of Lei Yue Mun Improvement Project have been completed. The Central and Western District Enhancement Scheme is essentially completed with a minor portion still subject to interfacing with another project in the same area. Beautification works for the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and Stanley waterfront are in progress and will be completed in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Other projects being planned include an improvement project for the Peak, a new transport link in Tsim Sha Tsui East, the development of an open plaza outside the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier, and further enhancement of Lei Yue Mun. The installation of newly designed visitor signage in all 18 districts will be completed in 2005 to make Hong Kong more visitor-friendly.

<div class="floatright">

In January 2004, the Commission launched a brand new tourism product – A Symphony of Lights. This is a world class multi-media light and sound show staged every night along the waterfront as a permanent night-time feature of the Victoria Harbour. At present, A Symphony of Lights is confined to 20 buildings on Hong Kong Island. It will be extended to cover over 30 buildings on both sides of the Harbour by December 2005 to further enhance the night vista of Hong Kong. The Avenue of Stars, another new tourist attraction has been very popular among both visitors and locals. Between its opening in April 2004 and the end of May 2005, 11.3 million people have visited the attraction.

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Between September 2005 and early 2006, a number of major projects, including Phase 1 of [http://www.hongkongdisneyland.com Hong Kong Disneyland], Ngong Ping 360 (which includes the Ngong Ping Skyrail and Ngong Ping Village) and Hong Kong Wetland Park, will be completed. The heritage tourism development at the former Marine Police Headquarters Compound is expected to be completed by 2008. The Government is examining views collected from the public in deciding the way forward for the development of the Central Police Station, Victoria Prison and the former Central Magistracy Compound into a heritage tourism attraction. The Government is also working on the timely development of new cruise terminal facilities in Hong Kong in order for Hong Kong to capitalize on the rapid growth of the cruise industry worldwide and in the region by developing herself into a regional cruise hub. The Government is also studying the redevelopment plans of the Ocean Park, which will form the basis for the development plan of the Aberdeen tourism node. The promotion of tourism is not simply about construction of new facilities. The Government has not lost sight of the fact that Hong Kong’s traditional relics and assets, some of which date back six thousand years, offer visitors a fascinating insight into the region’s history. To better explore heritage tourism, the HKTB has enhanced its Cultural Kaleidoscope cultural experience programme with a guided tour of Hong Kong Museum of Art and jewellery appreciation classes. It is presently drawing up a railway sight-seeing guidebook to promote the cultural attractions and heritage sites along the KCR East and West Rails. In addition, the HKTB continues to work with trade operators to promote traditional Chinese customs and festivals such as the Tin Hau Festival parade in Yuen Long, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival and the Birthday of Lord Buddha celebrations at Po Lin Monastery. The ecological richness and diversity of Hong Kong is also quite unexpected and is another aspect which has not hitherto been fully recognised. The Commission is looking systematically into how to open up the countryside and make sensible and sustainable use of natural resources to promote green tourism, using a combination of information, access, signage and, where necessary, minor works programmes. The Government is taking forward a programme to develop green tourism in the Northern New Territories anchoring on 2 pilot projects in the Plover Cove and Tolo Channel area and on Tung Ping Chau respectively, with an emphasis on nature conservation and sustainable development. The HKTB has produced new publicity materials to promote 7 hiking tours, as well as a guidebook on bird watching hot spots in Hong Kong in collaboration with Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. The HKTB is also revamping the green tourism section of its website to make it more comprehensive and user friendly, and will step up relevant green promotion to complement Hong Kong Wetland Park’s full completion in early 2006.

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== Standards and performance ==

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Apart from making available a wide range of attractions to enrich the experience of tourists, it is equally important to enhance the standard of service offered. The Travel Agents (Amendment) Ordinance 2002 has taken effect since November 1, 2002 to put in place a licensing scheme to regulate travel agents which carry on the business of providing inbound travel services. Parallel with this, to ensure the quality service provided to the visitors, the training of serving tourist guides has commenced in July 2002 with subsidy from the Government. Any serving tourist guide who has completed the prescribed training course and passed the required examination will be issued with a “Tourist Guide Pass”. They are required to observe the “Code of Conduct for Tourist Guides” issued by the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. With effect from July 1, 2004 all travel agents are required to assign only those tourist guides with a valid “Tourist Guide Pass” to receive visitors to Hong Kong. The HKTB continues to implement the Quality Tourism Services (QTS) Scheme, which aims to enhance the overall service standards among retailers and restaurants. The Scheme was strengthened in 2003 to provide visitors with better quality assurance and a more comprehensive and effective complaint handling mechanism. By the end of February 2005, over 5 300 outlets had received QTS accreditation, an increase of more than 35 per cent in 12 months, reflecting growing trade and visitor recognition of the scheme’s value. The China National Tourism Administration has also expressed its support for QTS. The HKTB, with funding from the Government, has also been running a Tourism Orientation Programme. The programme, started in 2002, aims to provide participants with practical and structured training in hospitality services. The promotion of a community-wide hospitality culture is essential to the sustainable development of the tourism industry. The Tourism Commission will continue to run the territory-wide public education campaign entitled “A Hospitable Hong Kong” for another two years to promote a hospitality culture. This campaign will comprise a series of programmes and activities, including the Hong Kong Young Ambassador Scheme, general publicity scheme, service quality seminars and campaigns. The Commission is conducting a Service Quality Study, which aims to work out with the industries and related government departments service standards for each sector. It will also exemplify the best practice and service excellence attained and help promote service quality generally.

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== Accessing Hong Kong ==

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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 authorised to organise such tours has also increased significantly. The Government will continue to ensure Hong Kong remains easy to visit. Beyond this, nationals from some 170 countries can visit Hong Kong visa free for period from seven days to 180 days. The Individual Visit Scheme was introduced on July 28, 2003. The Scheme has been gradually extended and now covers Guangdong province, Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Tianjian and nine cities in Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Over 6.69 million individual visitors have visited Hong Kong as at April 30, 2005.

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bar:July from:start till:3.92 text:

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pos:(50,37) textcolor:gray fontsize:M text:Tourist arrivals in 2024 (millions)

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pos:(50,20) textcolor:gray fontsize:M text:Source: TradingEconomics /

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pos:(50,3) textcolor:gray fontsize:M text: C&SD Hong Kong

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{| style="border:solid 1px #aaa" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0"

|+'''Yearly tourist arrivals in millions'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2024 |title=Hong Kong: International tourist trips |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/international-tourist-trips?tab=chart&country=~HKG |website=Our World In Data}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global and regional tourism performance |url=https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-regional-tourism-performance |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=www.unwto.org}}</ref>

|-

| <timeline>

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color:skyblue width:11

bar:95 from:start till:8.01

bar:96 from:start till:10.0

bar:97 from:start till:8.20

bar:98 from:start till:7.14

bar:99 from:start till:7.84

bar:00 from:start till:8.81

bar:01 from:start till:8.88

bar:02 from:start till:10.7

bar:03 from:start till:9.68

bar:04 from:start till:13.7

bar:05 from:start till:14.8

bar:06 from:start till:15.8

bar:07 from:start till:17.2

bar:08 from:start till:17.3

bar:09 from:start till:16.9

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bar:12 from:start till:23.8

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bar:14 from:start till:27.8

bar:15 from:start till:26.7

bar:16 from:start till:26.6

bar:17 from:start till:27.9

bar:18 from:start till:29.3

bar:19 from:start till:23.7

bar:20 from:start till:1.36

bar:21 from:start till:0.09

bar:22 from:start till:0.57

bar:23 from:start till:17.2

bar:24 from:start till:21.9

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|}

=== Top most visiting nationalities ===

Most visitors arriving to Hong Kong were from the following country or territory of residence:<ref>{{cite web|title=Visitor Arrival Statistics, 2015–2016|url=http://securepartnernet.hktb.com/filemanager/intranet/ir/ResearchStatistics/paper/VAS2002/VAS2016/VAS%2012%202016.pdf|website=securepartnernet.hktb.com|access-date=28 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=2016 年 12 月訪港旅客統計 Monthly Report - Visitor Arrivals Statistics : Dec 2016|url=http://partnernet.hktb.com/filemanager/intranet/pm/VisitorArrivalStatistics/ViS_Stat_E/VisE_2016/Tourism%20Statistics%2012%202016.pdf|website=partnernet.hktb.com|access-date=23 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discoverhongkong.com/common/images/about-hktb/pdf/tourism_stat_12_2017.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-01-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131024525/http://www.discoverhongkong.com/common/images/about-hktb/pdf/tourism_stat_12_2017.pdf |archive-date=31 January 2018 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discoverhongkong.com/in/about-hktb/news/visitor-arrival.jsp|title=Visitor Arrivals {{!}} Hong Kong Tourism Board|website=www.discoverhongkong.com|access-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>

{| Class= "wikitable sortable"

|-

! rowspan=2| Country/Territory

! colspan="8" |Total

|-

!5/2025

!2024

!2023

! 2019

! 2018

! 2017

! 2016

! 2015

|-style=background-color:#DDDDDD;"

| {{flagicon|China}} [[Mainland China]]

|15,182,478

|34,043,127

|26,760,453||43,774,685||51,038,230|| 44,445,259 || 42,778,145 || 45,842,360

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Taiwan}}

|618,074

|1,244,610

|783,778||1,538,915||1,925,234|| 2,010,755 || 2,011,428 || 2,015,797

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Philippines}}

|556,078

|1,194,446

|763,778||875,897||894,821|| 894,489 || 791,171 || 704,082

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|South Korea}}

|473,752

|854,873

|402,999||1,042,540|| 1,421,411 || 1,487,670 || 1,392,367 || 1,243,293

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|United States}}

|393,033

|884,262

|594,752||1,107,165||1,304,232|| 1,215,629 || 1,211,539 || 1,181,024

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Japan}}

|305,192

|560,169

|346,389|| 1,078,836|| 1,287,773||1,230,010 || 1,092,329 || 1,049,272

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Thailand}}

|249,813

|521,645

|450,372|| 467,048||571,606|| 560,207 || 594,615 || 529,410

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Australia}}

|195,743

|370,857

|240,705||505,523|| 580,167|| 567,881 || 575,812 || 574,270

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Indonesia}}

|180,451

|366,973

|252,432||375,781||427,007|| 482,022 || 464,406 || 413,568

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Singapore}}

|178,926

|466,071

|400,029||453,182||610,508|| 627,612 || 674,006 || 675,411

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Malaysia}}

|173,757

|405,508

|258,191|| 392,562||510,601|| 516,701 || 535,542 || 544,688

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|India}}

|168,611

|377,792

|207,655|| 337,997||386,681||392,853 || 480,906 || 531,770

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|United Kingdom}}

|150,859

|294,438

|212,286||518,378||572,739|| 555,353 || 551,930 || 529,505

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Canada}}

|146,096

|320,631

|209,028|| 318,479|| 377,992|| 370,335 || 369,363 || 358,448

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Germany}}

|89,729

|168,115

|106,767||217,779|| 226,819|| 225,183 || 226,594 || 213,802

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Russia}}

|70,011

|131,598

|56,063|| 138,679||161,916||148,098 || 142,664 || 151,469

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|France}}

|64,519

|144,651

|86,255||177,768||201,850|| 204,130 || 213,641 || 209,825

|-style=background-color:#DDDDDD;"

| {{flag|Netherlands}}

|34,030

|79,940

|49,530|| 85,227||93,863||94,826 || 95,762|| 91,596

|- style="background-color:#DDDDDD;&quot;"

| {{flag|Vietnam}}

|28,515

|48,309

|34,662|| 44,406||56,807||55,652 || 59,443 || 58,969

|- style="border-top:3px solid green;"

| Total

|20,155,121

|44,502,787

|33,999,660||55,912,609||65,147,555|| 58,472,157 || 56,654,903 || 59,307,596

|}

== Attractions and facilities ==

[[File:Hongkong peak tram.jpg|thumb|[[Peak Tram]] can reach Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island]]

[[File:Dr.SunYat-senMuseum.JPG|thumb|[[Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum]] on Hong Kong Island]]

[[File:Ferry of Hong Kong.JPG|thumb|[[Star Ferry Pier, Central]] on Hong Kong Island]]

[[File:Clock Tower, taken in 2011.JPG|thumb|The [[Clock Tower, Hong Kong|Clock Tower]] at Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon ]]

The following locations are areas generally marked as main attractions.

=== Hong Kong Island ===

{|

|valign=top|

* [[Victoria Peak]]

* [[Victoria Harbour]]

* [[Star Ferry Pier, Central]]

* [[Lan Kwai Fong]]

* [[SoHo, Hong Kong|SoHo]]

* [[Stanley, Hong Kong|Stanley]]

* [[Repulse Bay]]

* [[Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum]]

* [[Ocean Park Hong Kong]]

* [[Sai Wan Ho]]

* [[Hong Kong Film Archive]]

* [[Tai On Building]]: Numerous Hong Kong "street snacks" can be found here, for instance, egg waffles, bovine offals, cart noodles, fish balls, siu mai, torn pancakes and others.

|valign=top|

|}

=== Kowloon ===

''Including [[New Kowloon]]''

{|

|valign=top|

* [[Victoria Harbour]]

* [[Hong Kong Art Museum]]

* [[Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong|Avenue of Stars]]

* [[Clock Tower, Hong Kong|Clock Tower]]

* [[Chungking Mansions]]

|valign=top|

* [[Hong Kong Cultural Centre]]

* [[Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre]]

* [[Hong Kong History Museum]]

* [[Hong Kong Science Museum]]

* [[Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum]]

* [[Sky100]]

* [[Hong Kong Observatory]]

|valign=top|

* [[Kowloon Park]]

* [[Nathan Road]]

* [[Ocean Terminal, Hong Kong|Ocean Terminal]]

* [[The Peninsula Hong Kong|The Peninsula Hotel]]

* [[Temple Street, Hong Kong|Temple Street]]

* [[Tung Choi Street|Ladies' Market]]

|valign=top|

* [[Hong Kong Space Museum]]

* [[Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui]]

* [[Kowloon Walled City]]

* [[Wong Tai Sin Temple (Hong Kong)|Wong Tai Sin Temple]]

* [[Chi Lin Nunnery]]

* [[Lei Yue Mun]]

|}

=== New Territories ===

''Including the [[Outlying Islands, Hong Kong|Outlying Islands]]''

{|

|valign=top|

* [[Che Kung Miu|Che Kung Temple]]

* [[Cheung Chau]]

* [[Lamma Island]]

* [[Hong Kong Disneyland Resort]]

* [[Hong Kong Heritage Museum]]

|valign=top|

* [[Hong Kong Railway Museum]]

* [[Hong Kong Wetland Park]]

* [[Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change]]

* [[Ngong Ping 360]]

|valign=top|

* [[Ping Shan]]

* [[Tai O]]

* [[Tian Tan Buddha]]

* [[Ting Kau Bridge]]

|valign=top|

* [[Tsing Ma Bridge]]

* [[Tung Chung Fort]]

* [[Sai Kung Peninsula|Sai Kung]]

|}

=== Retail ===

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.<ref name=":132">{{Cite book |last=Simpson |first=Tim |title=Betting on Macau: Casino Capitalism and China's Consumer Revolution |date=2023 |publisher=[[University of Minnesota Press]] |isbn=978-1-5179-0031-1 |series=Globalization and Community series |___location=Minneapolis}}</ref>{{Rp|page=116}}

==Tourism events==

Hong Kong has a number of events throughout the year that are aimed at attracting visitors. The authority claims that Hong Kong is an Events Capital of Asia.

===International Chinese New Year Night Parade===

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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discoverhongkong.com/us/see-do/events-festivals/highlight-events/chinese-new-year-celebrations.jsp|title=Hong Kong Chinese New Year}}</ref>

The 2018 parade attracted over 150,000 spectators, half of them were visitors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/daily/article/20180217/20307989|title=15萬人觀賞花車巡遊表演 狗年行好運|website=Apple Daily 蘋果日報|access-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>

== Accessing Hong Kong ==

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 agency|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.

== Promotion ==

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|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.

== Controversies ==

The HKTB is a statutory body set up to promote Hong Kong globally as a business and leisure destination and take initiatives to enhance the experience of visitors when they arrive. The HKTB continues to promote the destination to business and leisure travellers through its worldwide “Hong Kong – Live it, Love it!” campaign. It also organises a series of popular mega-events. In 2005, the HKTB will continue to place special emphasis on attracting more visitors in the high-yield business-cum-leisure and family segments. Leveraging on the opening of several new attractions from 2005 onwards, the HKTB has designated 2006 as Discover Hong Kong Year. This 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 has already started promotions to the travel trade in May 2005 and will roll out consumer promotions worldwide in late 2005. Alongside promoting Hong Kong as a preferred tourist destination in Asia, the HKTB places emphasis on developing joint marketing efforts with strategic partners to promote multi-destination tourism and develop new markets. Building on the recent Pan-Pearl River Delta co-operation agreement, a series of joint overseas marketing initiatives is being conducted with Macau and the nine provincial tourism bureaux concerned. The Government supports the HKTB and the tourism industry to further these efforts. In the years ahead, the Government will continue to work closely with the HKTB and the trade to maintain Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s World City.

===Birth tourism in Hong Kong===

In the years up to till 2012, [[birth tourism in Hong Kong]] had been increasing.<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.hk/pub/B71312FA2013XXXXB0100.pdf "The Fertility Trend in Hong Kong, 1981 to 2012"]. "Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department". December 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2014</ref> Pregnant mainland women seeking to give birth in Hong Kong, specifically to benefit from the [[right of abode in Hong Kong|right of abode]].<ref name=hks20120417door/> 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.<ref name=LCQ4/> Some of them even called mainland people "locusts" which take away Hong Kong's resources from locals.<ref>[http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20120127/16018621 "800人捐款　五日籌十萬高登下周登報促截「雙非」"]. Apple Daily. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2014</ref> Over 170,000 new births where both parents were mainland people between 2001 and 2011,<ref>{{in lang|zh}}[http://news.sina.com.hk/news/20120208/-1-2571880/1.html 自由黨倡停發雙非嬰居港權] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218072805/http://news.sina.com.hk/news/20120208/-1-2571880/1.html |date=18 December 2013 }}</ref> of which 32,653 were born in 2010.<ref name="LCQ4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201105/11/P201105110171.htm|title=LCQ4: Obstetric services|website=www.info.gov.hk|access-date=2020-04-17}}</ref> 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.<ref name=hks20120417door>Luk, Eddie (17 April 2012). [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=121584&sid=36081654&con_type=3&d_str=20120417&isSearch=1&sear_year=2012 "Door shuts on moms"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402113830/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=121584&sid=36081654&con_type=3&d_str=20120417&isSearch=1&sear_year=2012 |date=2 April 2015 }}. ''The Standard''.</ref>

==See also==

*===Parallel [[Economytrading ofin Hong Kong]]===

{{seealso|Anti-parallel trading protests}}

* [[Individual Visit Scheme]] - allowing travellers from mainland China to visit Hong Kong

Since 2012, there have been more mainland [[Parallel trading in Hong Kong|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.<ref>Jennifer, Ngo [http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1412052/milk-powder-supplies-still-not-meeting-needs "Milk powder supplies still not meeting needs"]. ''South China Morning Post''. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014</ref> This made the government impose restrictions on the amount of milk powder exports from Hong Kong.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.customs.gov.hk/en/whats_new/API/index.html|title=Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department - Import and Export (General)(Amendment) Regulation 2013 ( with effect from 1 March 2013 ) - Quantity of Powdered Formula for Persons Departing from Hong Kong|website=www.customs.gov.hk|access-date=2020-04-17}}</ref> Besides, since northern places like Sheung Shui became the transaction centres of the traders, this resulted in discontent from nearby residents.<ref>E-[https://sites.google.com/dc.edu.hk/pranora-hk-brochure/about-hk?authuser=0 Brochure]</ref>

* [[List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong]]

== See also ==

{{Portal|Hong Kong}}

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

* [[Amusement parks in Hong Kong]]

* [[Beaches of Hong Kong]]

* [[Culture of Hong Kong]]

* [[Declared monuments of Hong Kong]]

* [[Hong Kong Country Parks & Special Areas]]

* [[Impacts of tourism]]

* [[List of areas of Hong Kong]]

* [[List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong]]

* [[Museums in Hong Kong]]

* [[TransportationOutbound inTravel HongAlert KongSystem]]

* [[CultureShopping ofin Hong Kong]]

* [[Tourism carrying capacity]]

* [[Tourism in China]]

* [[Transport in Hong Kong]]

* [[Visa policy of Hong Kong]]

{{div col end}}

==External linksReferences==

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

*{{wikitravel|Hong Kong}}

*{{cite web | title=一簽多行恢復一個月 12月零售業不及2023年 拆解旺丁不旺財原因 | website=HK01 | date=2 Jan 2025 | url=https://www.hk01.com/article/1090342 | language=zh-hant | access-date=3 Jan 2025}}

*{{cite web | title=回歸25年｜自由行主導旅遊零售業發展 業界︰未來宜拓高增值客源 | website=HK01 | date=1 Jul 2022 | url=https://www.hk01.com/article/786218 |quote=他建議，未來的目標應放在高端旅客，包括來港參加展覽人士或商務旅客。他批評過去的旅遊業以至過份依賴自由行的零售業界，既不健康亦不持久，故提出反問︰「究竟呢啲係咪叫旅遊呢？」 | language=zh | access-date=3 Jan 2025}}

==External links==

{{wikivoyage|Hong Kong}}

{{Commons category|Tourism in Hong Kong}}

* [http://www.discoverhongkong.com Hong Kong Tourism Board]

* [http://www.visitinghongkonggohk.cogov.ukhk/ VisitingLocal Hongtravel Kongguide, GuideHome Affairs Department]

* [http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/products/publications/statistical_report/feature_articles/transport/index_cd_B70803FC_dt_detail.jsp Tourism Satellite Account for Inbound Tourism of Hong Kong] – Census and Statistics Department

{{Tourism in Asia}}

{{Hong Kong topics|state=expanded}}

[[Category:Tourism byin nation|Hong Kong| ]]

[[Category:Tourism in Asia|Hong Kong]]