Mainland visitors to HK rise in New Year

Mainland visitors to Hong Kong surged 6.6 percent during the Lunar New Year holiday, compared with the break the previous year, providing a welcome boost to the local tourism and retail industry after a two-year-long sluggish market.

According to the Hong Kong Immigration Department, the city received 930,463 mainland tourists during the seven days from the Lunar New Year's Eve on Jan 27.

Greg So Kam-leung, secretary of Commerce and Economic Development in Hong Kong, said the latest increase compared with the 12.1 percent year-on-year decrease in mainland visitors for the holiday the previous year.