15
Tourism
UNTIL recent years, tourism was the privilege of the few. Today, however, it is a popular pursuit of people of all lands and as a result the tourist industry on an international basis has become the leading foreign currency earning factor in a world-wide economy. The greater portion of this trade is claimed by the United Kingdom and European countries whereas the Pacific area and south-east Asia only share approximately 14 per cent of the total market. Nevertheless, this small percentage is showing steady and encouraging growth and accounts for the movement of many hundreds of thousands of international travellers.
Hong Kong's visitor intake within the great area of the Pacific and the Far East (excluding Hawaii) ranks second only to Japan and visitors to Japan and Hong Kong in 1962 totalled more than the aggregate of all other countries in the area.
Although Hong Kong has been an attraction to travellers for a number of years, the decision to develop the tourist industry was only made in 1958. There were approximately 43,500 visitors to the Colony in 1957; thereafter the figures rose as follows:-1958 (103,058), 1959 (138,561), 1960 (163,661), 1961 (220,884), 1962 (253,016), and 1963 (315,665). This increase is attributable to a number of reasons, all of which play an important part in the development of an industry which is now a vital factor in the economic life of Hong Kong.
The main reasons are threefold. First, there has been rapid and imaginative development in the matter of receiving incoming visitors, by air and by sea. The airport handles all types of modern aircraft on a 24-hour basis and the processing of passengers is fast and efficient. Similarly passengers arriving by sea can disem- bark with a minimum of delay through the new sea terminal which, although a temporary building, nevertheless offers facilities, space and comfort of a very high order. Work has already started on a new ocean terminal which, when completed, will be a magnificent