Hong Kong gains from Chinese holiday influx

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Hong Kong airport benefits from a surge in Chinese travel during Golden Week

Hong Kong International Airport recorded strong sales during the recent travel peak of Golden Week, with double-digit growth compared to 2002, although Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) felt the fallout from the recent reports of fresh SARS cases.

Beijing's loss was Hong Kong's gain, with BCIA reporting Hong Kong-bound passengers up 30% for the May holiday compared to the previous week. Hong Kong reported daily traffic numbers of more than 100,000 for the first and second days of the period. ?We are very happy, we don't make comparisons with 2003 because of SARS, but compared to 2002 we were up by double-digit figures throughout,? said Airport Authority Hong Kong general manager retail Eva Tsang. She said airport retailers had reported sales rises in line with passenger numbers. The main increase was in mainland Chinese arrivals and also in Japanese visitors, Tsang added. ?Hong Kong is perceived as a safe destination, both for hygiene and politically,? she added.

BCIA fared less well, with daily duty-free sales during Golden Week of $80,000, way below the expected $100-120,000, a spokesman said.

?Passenger numbers and sales were at least 20% lower than we expected, due partly to the brief recurrence of SARS and also the Taiwanese who are not travelling due to elections and the political situation.?