118
Tourism
IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM
The tourist industry is one of Hong Kong's largest money spinners and in 1975 its gross earnings were estimated at $2,976 million. This was 5.8 per cent more than the previous year. There were some 1.3 million visitors-an increase of 0.4 per cent.
Japan continued to provide the largest number of tourists, but their proportion dropped to 29 per cent. There was a steady increase in visitors from the Southeast Asia region, which now accounts for nearly 25 per cent of all tourists. Economic uncertainty in the United States reduced the proportion of American visitors to 14 per cent, but the ever increasing numbers of Australians and New Zealanders now amount to nearly 11 per cent of the total. Europe remained stable in providing 12 per cent of the tourists, but the figures for individual European countries showed some marked fluctuations.
Hong Kong Tourist Association promotions in 1975 concentrated on the short- haul markets in Southeast Asia, Australasia and Japan. In May, various sections of the tourist industry combined in a two-week mission to Japan, which was directed at the travel trade as well as the potential tourist. In Australia, promotions were held in a chain of Sydney department stores followed by travel trade presentations in conjunction with the Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA) conference. Rep- resentatives of the Australian travel industry also paid several visits to Hong Kong to prepare for the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) conference which is to be held in Hong Kong in August 1976.
In the long-haul markets, Hong Kong's tourist industry took part in various exhibitions and seminars—including the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) Fair in Berlin, which is a major event in the European travel trade calendar.
The Hong Kong Tourist Association continued to initiate and lend support to improvements in local tourist attractions and to foster the introduction of new facilities. The association has developed a series of arts and crafts tours which provide a unique introduction to the many types of handicrafts and skills found in Hong Kong. It is also actively engaged in upgrading the standards of service in the tourist industry. In conjunction with the Committee of Tourist Retail Shops, which was formed during the year, the association has held a series of training courses for sales staff. Refresher training courses in English and Japanese have also been held for tourist guides. The association is constantly working towards greater co-ordination within the tourist industry in order to eliminate malpractices in certain spheres.
Under the sponsorship of local hotels and the Hong Kong Tourist Association, representatives of the overseas media and travel trade make frequent visits to Hong Kong. The results of these visits are seen in the favourable coverage of the territory's tourist attractions and in the tour packages which feature longer stays in Hong Kong. The annual Hong Kong Arts Festival draws many visitors, but there is a year- round flow of travel writers, journalists, and television and film teams.
In 1975 the Hong Kong Tourist Association produced a tour planning guide to help tour operators in overseas countries to promote Hong Kong, and to encourage longer visits. The guide gives details of the various attractions and facilities, and