CRI听力:HK Receives Fewer Mainland Visitors

Hong Kong has seen a decreasing number of tourists from the Chinese mainland in the first quarter of this year.

As for the Labor Day holidays starting from today, tourism industry insiders say they are not optimistic about visitor arrivals in the city.

The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong predicts that the number of tourist groups that the city receives will decrease by 10 percent. Currently, 70 or 80 percent of hotel rooms in Hong Kong are reserved, which means fewer visitors and reduced retail sales revenue.

Michael Wu, the chairman of the council says Hong Kong does not rank high in the minds of mainland tourists.

"When mainland tourists choose destinations, they are more likely to choose Japan or South Korea or Taiwan. If they take visa issues into consideration, they probably choose Hong Kong. Many of them just transfer at Hong Kong's airport, but they will not consume goods or services here."

According to the latest statistics from the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the total number of visitors to the city decreased by one million in March 2015 when measured on a monthly basis. That was the third consecutive month the figure decreased.

Compared to last year, the number of tourists dropped almost 9 percent. Overnight visitor arrivals from the mainland decreased by 18 percent, about double the average drop rate.

Michael Li, executive director of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners notes that tourism in Hong Kong is still being affected by internal troubles and influences from other countries.

"On the one hand, prices in other places are lower, (for example), the Japanese currency has been devaluating, and some tourism destinations are visa-free now; on the other hand, conflicts between a small fraction of local residents and mainland visitors have had an impact on Hong Kong's image."