XN000022-1989-10-25 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 25, 1989

NUMBER OF TOURISTS TO DROP AFTER RECORD YEAR

IS NO THE RECENT EVENTS IN CHINA HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE

VISITOR ARRIVALS IN ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AS

SAME PERIOD LAST JUNE AND JULY DROPPED BY OVER 20 PER CENT OVER THE

HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, THE YEAR, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE

HON MARTIN BARROW, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

AND SEPTEMBER HE SAID THERE WERE SOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR AUGUST

TIME FOR VISITOR ARRIVALS BUT IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT WOULD TAKE SOME FROM MAJOR LONG-HAUL MARKETS TO RETURN TO PREVIOUS LEVELS.

ASSOCIATION A DROP OF FIVE PER COMPARED WITH

TABLING THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HONG KONG TOURIST FOR THE 1988-89 FINANCIAL YEAR. MR BARROW SAID CENT IN VISITOR ARRIVALS WAS BEING FORECAST THIS YEAR. 1988.

"THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE SINCE 1971." HE SAID.

THE 1988-89 YEAR HAD BEEN A RECORD TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF VISITORS AND THE KONG.

EXPERIENCED A DROP

ONE FOR TOURISM BOTH IN AMOUNT THEY SPENT IN HONG

BILLION.

VISITOR ARRIVALS ROSE 24 PER CENT OVER 1987 TO 5.6 MILLION

PËR

TO $33 CENT

WHICH TOURISM RECEIPTS GREW BY 31 EQUIVALENT TO 7.3 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.

MR BARROW POINTED OUT THAT HOTELS OCCUPANCY RATE OF 92 PER CENT DURING 1988.

AND

WAS

ACHIEVED A RECORD AVERAGE

BY THE END OF THE YEAR THERE WERE 23,000 ROOMS IN HOTELS AND ANOTHER 4.800 WERE BEING ADDED THIS YEAR. A WERE SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN 1990.

HONG KONG'S FURTHER 4.000

MR BARROW SAID THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, BACKED BY THE

HAD EMBARKED ON AN

MARKETING EXTENSIVE

HONG

AS ASIA'S KONG'S SUCCESS

MOST POPULAR

PROGRAMME

то

TRAVEL

INDUSTRY, MAINTAIN DESTINATION.

FOR MAJOR "SOME 20 LARGE-SCALE PROMOTIONS HAVE BEEN ORGANISED

AS AN EXCITING AND MARKETS IN THE COMING YEAR TO PROJECT HONG KONG

OFFERING MORE HOTEL ROOMS. INCREASED

DESTINATION.

VIBRANT TRAVEL AIRLINE CAPACITY AND NEW VISITOR ATTRACTIONS.

"THE EMPHASIS WILL BE ON ATTRACTING

MORE HIGH-YIELD

VISITORS

AND EXTENDING THEIR LENGTH OF STAY.

"THE ASSOCIATION WILL CONTINUE ΤΟ MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES WITH AIRLINES, HOTELS AND TOUR WHOLESALERS STRETCH THE MARKETING DOLLAR AND MAXIMISE THE IMPACT OF THE HONG TRAVEL MESSAGE OVERSEAS.

EXPLORE

CO-OPERATIVE

TO

KONG

/"INCREASED NUMBERS