Tourism in Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
industry has been an important part of the economy of Hong Kong
Economy of Hong Kong
As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the ninth most traded currency in the world. Hong Kong has remained as the world's freest economy,...
since it shifted to a service sector
Tertiary sector of industry
The tertiary sector of the economy is one of the three economic sectors, the others being the secondary sector and the primary sector .The service sector consists of the "soft" parts of the economy, i.e...
model in the late 1980s and early 90s. There has been a sharp increase of tourists from Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, due to the introduction of the Individual Visit Scheme
Individual Visit Scheme
The Individual Visit Scheme began on July 28, 2003. It allowed travelers from Mainland China to visit Hong Kong and Macau on an individual basis...
(IVS) in 2003.
Background
Hong Kong Tourism Board
The Hong Kong Tourism Board is a Government-subvented body founded in 2001. The Board replaced the Hong Kong Tourist Association established in 1957...
(HKTB) Overall visitor arrivals to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
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. In July 2011 more than 3.8 million visitors arrived in Hong Kong, equivalent to more than half Hong Kong's population and setting an outright record for a single month.
Along with the strong growth in the number of Mainland
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
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
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far 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
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, 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
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
and financial services
Financial services
Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
are the three main sources of income for Hong Kong.
Accommodation and length of stay
In December 2006, there were 612 hotelHotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s 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 in spite of 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 Tourism CommissionCommissioner for Tourism
The Commissioner for Tourism heads the Tourism Commission of the Hong Kong Government, which reports to Economic Development Branch of the Economic Development and Labour Bureau...
was established in May 1999 to promote Hong Kong as Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
'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.
Attractions and facilities
Almost any of the districts of Hong KongDistricts of Hong Kong
The Districts of Hong Kong are the 18 political areas by which Hong Kong is geographically divided. Each district has a district council, which was formerly known as a district board. The districts were established in the early 1980s, when Hong Kong was under British rule...
can be considered a tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
. The following locations are areas generally marked as main attractions.
Hong Kong Island
|
Kowloon
Including New KowloonNew Kowloon
New Kowloon is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, bounded in the south by Boundary Street, and in the north by the ranges of the Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, Tate's Cairn and Kowloon Peak...
|
Hong Kong Cultural Centre The Hong Kong Cultural Centre is a multipurpose performance facility in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong. Located at Salisbury Road, it was founded by the former Urban Council and, after 2000, is administered by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong Government... Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre The Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre is located in the Kowloon Park, Haiphong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.The Centre occupies the historic Blocks S61 and S62 of the former Whitfield Barracks at the Kowloon Park.-History:... Hong Kong Observatory Hong Kong Observatory is a department of the Hong Kong government. The Observatory forecasts weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards... |
Kowloon Park Kowloon Park is a large public park in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. It is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.-History:... Ocean Terminal, Hong Kong Ocean Terminal is a cruise terminal and shopping centre located on Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.-History:The location of Ocean Terminal was once a wharf pier on the west shore of Tsim Sha Tsui. Rebuilt and enlarged for use as a cruise terminal, it also served as a multi-story shopping... The Peninsula Hong Kong The Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the most internationally recognizable hotels in Hong Kong. Opened in 1928, it is Hong Kong's most historical hotel. It is located at the junction of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong... |
Hong Kong Science Museum The Hong Kong Science Museum is a science-themed museum in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong, located next to the Hong Kong Museum of History.The museum has a DC3 airliner suspended from the ceiling.... Hong Kong Space Museum The Hong Kong Space Museum is a museum of astronomy and space science in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government.-History:... Star Ferry The Star Ferry, or The "Star" Ferry Company, is a passenger ferry service operator in Hong Kong. Its principal routes carry passengers across Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon... Wong Tai Sin Temple Wong Tai Sin Temple is one of the most famous shrines in Hong Kong. It is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The 18,000-m² Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim... |
New Territories
Including the Outlying IslandsOutlying Islands, Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, the Outlying Islands are the groups of islands that surround Hong Kong Island as well as Kowloon and the New Territories on the mainland. There are 236 islands in Hong Kong, the majority of which are part of Islands District in the south and southwest, Sai Kung District in the...
|
Hong Kong Railway Museum Hong Kong Railway Museum is a railway museum in Tai Po, Hong Kong. It is now under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Service Department. Opened in 1985, it is located at the site where the Old Tai Po Market Railway Station was built in 1913... Hong Kong Wetland Park Hong Kong Wetland Park is a conservation, education and tourism facility, located at the northern part of Tin Shui Wai, in Yuen Long. It was to be an ecological mitigation area for the wetlands lost due to Tin Shui Wai New Town development.... Ngong Ping 360 The Ngong Ping 360 is a tourism project on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The project was previously known as Tung Chung Cable Car Project before acquiring the Ngong Ping 360 brand in April 2005... |
Ping Shan Ping Shan is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It is located west of Yuen Long Town and Shui Pin Wai, and south of Tin Shui Wai. Administratively, it is part of Yuen Long District.-Geography:... Tai O Tai O is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong.-Geography:On the main part of Lantau Island, a river splits to the north and west and at this fork lies the island referred to as Tai O. Two pedestrian bridges cross the river... Tian Tan Buddha Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is a large bronze statue of a Buddha, completed in 1993, and located at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in Hong Kong. The statue is located near Po Lin Monastery and symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion... Ting Kau Bridge Ting Kau Bridge is a 1,177-metre long cable-stayed bridge in Hong Kong that spans from the northwest of Tsing Yi Island and Tuen Mun Road. It is adjacent to Tsing Ma Bridge which also serves as major connector between the Hong Kong International Airport on Lantau Island and the rest of Hong Kong.... |
Tsing Ma Bridge The Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. It is the world's seventh-longest span suspension bridge, and was the second longest at time of completion. The bridge was named after two of the islands at its ends, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan . It has two decks and carries both road and rail... Tung Chung Fort Tung Chung Fort is a fort located near Tung Chung, on Lantau Island, in Hong Kong. Located near Tung Chung Road, the fort is surrounded by villages of Sheung Ling Pei and Ha Ling Pei . It has a companion Tung Chung Battery on the coast.-History:... |
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 agentsTravel agency
A travel agency is a retail business that sells travel related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, sightseeing tours and package holidays that combine several products...
authorised to organise 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
Individual Visit Scheme
The Individual Visit Scheme began on July 28, 2003. It allowed travelers from Mainland China to visit Hong Kong and Macau on an individual basis...
(IVS) was introduced on 28 July 2003. The Scheme has been gradually extended and now covers Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
province, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
and nine cities in Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
and Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
. In 2006, over 6.6 million Mainland citizens travelled 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 travelers 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 campaignMarketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
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. Aloagreement, a series of joint overseas marketing initiatives is being conducted with Macau and the nine provincial tourism bureaus concerned.
See also
- Amusement parks in Hong Kong
- Beaches of Hong KongBeaches of Hong KongHong Kong has a long coastline that is full of twists and turns with many bays and beaches. Many of them are well sheltered by mountains nearby, as Hong Kong is a mountainous place...
- Culture of Hong KongCulture of Hong KongThe culture of Hong Kong can best be described as a foundation that began with China, and became more influenced by British colonialism. Despite the 1997 transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong continues to hold an identity of its own.-People in the culture:Most Hong...
- Declared monuments of Hong KongDeclared monuments of Hong KongDeclared monuments of Hong Kong are places, structures or buildings legally declared to be "protected". In Hong Kong, declaring a monument requires consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board, the approval of the Chief Executive as well as the publication of the notice in government gazette.As of 12...
- Hong Kong Country Parks & Special Areas
- List of areas of Hong Kong
- List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
- Museums in Hong Kong
- Shopping in Hong KongShopping in Hong KongShopping in Hong Kong has been categorised from a "social activity" to a "serious sport". It is an important part of the culture and a way of life. Few cities in the world can rival the experience from an economic, business or social standpoint....
- Tourism in ChinaTourism in ChinaTourism in China has greatly expanded over the last few decades since the beginning of reform and opening. The emergence of a newly rich middle class and an easing of restrictions on movement by the Chinese authorities are both fueling this travel boom. China has become one of the world's...
- Transportation in Hong Kong
- Visitor Attractions in Hong Kong
External links
- Hong Kong Tourism Board
- Local travel guide, Home Affairs Department
- Hong Kong Outdoors
- A Hong Kong Travel Guide, a blog by the locals
- Hong Kong Jewellers Accused Of Selling Fake Diamonds To Tourists Playfuls.com, Romania (1 Apr 2007)
- TIC holds talks in Beijing to win back China tourists The Standard (4 April 2007)
- Tourism Satellite Account for Inbound Tourism of Hong Kong - Census and Statistics Department