HONG KONG — The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has reported over 30.6 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2018 as well as a significant uptick in Canadians from January to June.

In the first six months of the year, the destination saw a 10.1% year-on-year growth in visitor arrivals, with overnight visitors exceeding 13.85 million, up 6.2% year on year.

Canada recorded an increase of 4.8% for a total of 191,359 visitor arrivals from January to June. In the month of June alone, 23,147 Canadians were reported, compared to 22,517 in the same month last year, an increase of 2.8%.

“Additional air capacity and effective campaigns partnered with media and trade partners contributed to the result,” said Michael Lim, HKTB Director of Canada, Central & South America. “We’ll continue our market promotion, with ‘Best Of All, It’s In Hong Kong’ inviting visitors to discover Hong Kong like a local, explore the neighbourhood attractions and enjoy the authentic experiences.”

According to Anthony Lau, Executive Director of the HKTB, growth in visitor arrivals was largely driven by the Mainland market. As for international arrivals, he said long-haul markets performed well, growing 2.6%.

“With the continued intense competition among travel destinations in the region, visitor arrivals from short-haul markets fluctuated, falling of 1.5%,” he said. “Looking ahead, the business environment for the tourism industry will face different challenges caused by the unstable global economy and exchange rates, which may affect tourism growth in the second half of the year.”

Leveraging the upcoming opening of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou- Shenzhen-Hong Kong High Speed Rail and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the HKTB will introduce related promotions through various channels to promote the two main infrastructure additions and travel experiences featuring Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.