2024 RT Amination Banner.gif

China Daily

News> Hong Kong> Content
Wednesday, September 26, 2018, 23:29
Mainland tourist arrivals surge on back of XRL launch
By Edith Lu in Hong Kong
Wednesday, September 26, 2018, 23:29 By Edith Lu in Hong Kong

Passengers enjoy their time on board a high-speed train from Shenzhen North to Hong Kong, Sept 23, 2018. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong continues to be one of the most attractive destinations for Chinese mainland travelers, who accounted for 38 percent of about 2.9 million arrivals and departures over the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays from Sept 22 to 24, according to Hong Kong’s Immigration Department.

The number of overnight mainland visitors also rose nearly 30 percent year-on-year -- a historical high for the period – said Ctrip, the mainland's largest online travel agency.

The surge is partly attributed to the launch of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL), which began service on Sunday.

Passenger traffic on the high-speed trains reached 122,207 during the first two days of the XRL’s operations. Most of the travelers from Shenzhen and Guangzhou came to Hong Kong by train

Passenger traffic on the high-speed trains reached 122,207 during the first two days of the XRL’s operations. Most of the travelers from Shenzhen and Guangzhou came to Hong Kong by train.

“Operating the high-speed trains will take time. MTRC also needs time to work with China Railway Corporation more smoothly,” MTR Corporation Chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang said on Tuesday during a visit to West Kowloon Station. He believed that more Hong Kong residents will eventually choose to take high-speed trains to the mainland.

MTRC is striving to rectify the problems encountered by commuters by adding more ticketing counters and automatic ticket-vending machines at the West Kowloon terminus, Ma said. It followed complaints from passengers that they had trouble collecting their tickets due to the long queues of people waiting to get their pre-booked tickets on Sunday.

ALSO READ: MTRC to smoothen high-speed rail services

The Transport and Housing Bureau said it expects an initial average daily ridership of 80,000 passengers this year. The number is projected to climb to 95,000 in 2021, and 129,300 by 2031.

Accordingly, about 29 million visitors are expected to take high-speed trains to Hong Kong in the near future. Last year, the SAR recorded 58.47 million tourist arrivals.

According to data from travel agencies, half of the mainland tour groups which are currently taking land routes to Hong Kong would turn to high-speed trains in future.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan Fan said last month the XRL will boost commerce, cultural exchanges and Hong Kong’s status as a transport hub.

READ MORE: Rapid rail to boost HK growth

Michael Cheng Woon-yin, consumer markets leader of Asia Pacific, Hong Kong and the mainland at PwC, said it’s hard to see the positive impact on the local retail industry until at least six months later.

“Hong Kong’s retail business remains in good shape this year as the tourism sector recovers. Retail sales could rise 8 or 9 percent for the full year this year to HK$480 billion,” he said.

Thomson Cheng Wai-hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, said last month the retail industry will be boosted by the launch of the XRL and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which is due to open later this year.

He said the mega infrastructure projects could offset some of the negative effects of the ongoing trade stand-off between China and the United States.

edithlu@chinadailyhk.com

Share this story

CHINA DAILY
HONG KONG NEWS
OPEN
Please click in the upper right corner to open it in your browser !