Hong Kong logged a seven-percent year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals from the Chinese mainland during the first two days of the Dragon Boat Festival break, official data shows.

Stakeholders viewed the result as positive, calling for related sectors to continue improving service quality and capitalizing on the city’s mega event economy during the upcoming summer vacation — a peak season for the tourism sector.

According to data from the Immigration Department, over the first two days of the holiday spanning from Saturday to Sunday, inbound passenger trips via Hong Kong’s sea, land, and air checkpoints exceeded 1.17 million, including over 270,000 made by mainland visitors — an over-7 percent surge compared to the same period last year.

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Over 70,000 mainland passenger trips were logged as of 4 pm on Monday, according to the Immigration Department.

West Kowloon Station was the most popular checkpoint among mainland visitors, with 38,985 arrivals logged on Saturday and 32,693 on Sunday, making up approximately a quarter of the total.

In second place, the bustling Lok Ma Chau Spur Line checkpoint handled 54,000 mainland passenger trips over the past weekend.

Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said that the inbound figures were impressive for a three-day holiday period, with a notable influx of group tourists.

He noted Hong Kong’s emergence as a must-visit destination for short-haul travelers from nearby regions such as cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Jiangxi province.

However, Chui acknowledged the fierce competition faced by the city’s tourism sector, calling on industry practitioners to keep improving service standards and providing diversified experiences.

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Caspar Tsui Ying-wai, executive director of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners, said that the hotel industry’s performance during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday met expectations.

Tsui said that May and June are usually the slack season for Hong Kong’s hotel industry, with a dip in overall performance compared to the peak season, yet remaining within standard ranges.

Looking ahead, Tsui said he has high hopes for the summer vacation period from July and August, believing that the city’s mega event line-up will be catalysts for the peak season and bring a greater boost to the tourism industry.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com