Bigger and noisier groups of tourists from the mainland are expected to flock to Hong Kong during the long Spring Festival holiday, beginning on Chinese New Year's Day on January 23, according to a survey by China Tourism Institution.

Results of the survey showed that many more people than last year have expressed a strong wish to travel during the coming holiday. Hong Kong has remained the most popular overseas destination - favored by 44 percent of respondents.

"This year we've seen a 10 percent increase over last year of tourists enrolling for Hong Kong trips during the new year holiday," said Chen Jie, a manager of the Shanghai branch of China Youth Travel Agency. "People in nearby cities, including Hongzhou, Suzhou and Wuxi, are booking their flights and hotels for their Hong Kong trips with us, too."

Hong Kong has always been the most popular overseas travel destination for Shanghai people who go mainly for shopping and dining.

The visa renewal process for Chinese citizens to travel to Hong Kong SAR has been further simplified this year, Chen said. "It has been easier and more convenient for Shanghai people to visit Hong Kong." Tourists tend to travel with family during the New Year holiday," she said. "We've received more bookings for family groups of six or seven people lately."

Sometimes two families book their trips together for convenience, and may move about in a group of six or seven, while on other occasions, people travel with their spouse or partner. Sometimes two or three best friends take a shopping trip together.

Many have chosen to spend Chinese New Year's Eve at home, and take off on the third or fourth day, and spend three to four days in Hong Kong.

The famous fireworks show at Victoria Harbour, special holiday discount for shopping, and festive activities in Disney Land and Ocean Park ... all play a part in attracting more tourists to Hong Kong.

"I want to experience the festival atmosphere in Hong Kong," said Liu Rui, a 24-year-old public servant from Shanghai. "It will quite different from the usual stuff in Shanghai."

The travel expense will rise accordingly. A staff member with the hotel-booking web site www.szhkhotel.com, who preferred to go unnamed said that the three-to-four-star rated hotels in popular locations such as Tsim Sha Tsui have raised their rates by 400 to 500 yuan per night during the Chinese New Year and fine five-star hotels are at least 1,000 yuan more expensive than during low seasons.

He Minhua, a 50-year-old business woman, plans to take her only daughter, a freshman at college in Shanghai, on a trip to Hong Kong, from Jan 30 to Feb 4, when the hotel and air fare will drop back a little.

Besides Victoria Harbor and the Ocean Park, He and her daughter also are attracted to the larger variety and lower price of cosmetic products, not to mention digital products such as iPad2. The popular digital device has a more favorable price and more optional accessories are available in Hong Kong. The dense crowds and extremely high enthusiasm for shopping will result in a somewhat less pleasant shopping experience in Hong Kong, too. Jin Haizhou, a young man of 22, complained about his trip on the New Year. "Many things were completely sold out," he said, discouraging Hong Kong visits during festival seasons.

Shen Mengjie contributed to the story.

China Daily

(HK Edition 01/17/2012 page4)