ENG-1968 — Page 240

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IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM

of the European travel industry. The association also participated directly in special events in West Berlin, Zurich, Geneva, Basle and Oslo and arranged visits throughout the length and breadth of Europe to promote the Hong Kong tourist image.

In the United States of America the interest in travel to the Orient seems greater than ever and the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong reached a new record of 158,915 despite a cut-back early in the year when wide-ranging travel curbs were imposed by US authorities. In Canada there has been an increase in interest marked by a growth in the number of Canadian visitors to Hong Kong.

The number of tourists from Japan totalled 96,387 in 1968 and was second only to those from the United States. The increasing popularity of special chartered flights to bring parties of tourists to Hong Kong is having a marked effect in swelling the number of Japanese visitors to the Colony. The holding of the Annual Conference of the American Society of Travel Agents in Tokyo in September 1969, and the opening of Expo 70 in Osaka in 1970 are both expected to lead to further rapid expansion in the number of Japanese tourists coming to Hong Kong. The number of visitors from other Asian countries has also increased; the most notable increases being from Malaysia 23.4 per cent, Philippines 33.2 per cent, Singapore 52.7 per cent, Thailand 36.4 per cent, and Korea 55.1 per cent.

In the United Kingdom in spite of the current restrictions on foreign travel satisfactory results have been achieved. Familiariza- tion visits arranged for groups of travel agents from the United Kingdom and the Continent proved most successful. Hotels, travel agents, tour operators and all members of the Colony's travel industry co-operated in presenting the many facets of Hong Kong to the visiting agents.

The number of tourists from Australia and New Zealand in- creased by 24 per cent. Representatives of the Tourist Association made special visits to Australia and New Zealand for promotion purposes and also to attend the Tauranga Trade Fair and the Annual Conference of the New Zealand Travel and Holiday Association. In addition, the association's representatives attended a series of seminars throughout New Zealand and Australia.

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