The Hong Kong Tourism Board expects and 8.6 percent increase of visitors to Hong Kong this year, approximately 59 million.
Mainland visitors will increase by 10.8 percent, about 45.1 millions people, with 60 percent of them being same-day visitors.
The Tourism Board chairman, Peter Lam Kin-ngok said that the Sunday protests against mainland visitors is the public’s frustration over the disruption caused by tourists, but Lam says a balance needs to be striked because although it can cause inconvenience for locals when tourists gather at spots like Causeway Bay, there are 200,000 people with jobs in tourism.
It’s projected that visitors will reach 100 million (!) a year by 2023, so Hong Kong needs to plan ahead.
Source: SCMP
Photo: Adam Selwood, Flickr
