'Camping doesn't hurt HK's hotel sector'

A tourism sector representative on Monday said the surge in mainland tourists camping in Hong Kong's countryside would not hurt the city's hotel industry. Speaking to RTHK, the executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association Timothy Chui said the overall occupancy rate at local hotels reached more than 90 percent during the Labour Day Golden Week holiday. As for campers, Chui said that some of them were not staying outdoors for their entire trip, instead, they booked hotel rooms for part of their stay and continued spending money in the city. “Campers might sleep at the camping site for one night and opt for a hotel on the following night. Hong Kong offers this option, it allows tourists to switch between a short time period. They may go camping one day and then continue dining, shopping and having fun in the urban areas the next,” he said. “This is exactly Hong Kong’s strength.” Chui also pointed out that about half of all hotel guests booked for one night, while the other half stayed for a longer period. He noted that hotel prices increased by 10 percent compared with holidays in the past, adding that some tourists would only decide their accommodation at the last minute. “For example, some visitors who have arrived in Hong Kong might not have booked a hotel. They can either stay in Hong Kong or return to Shenzhen or Zhuhai for accommodation, especially since the transport within the Greater Bay Area is very convenient,” he said. “It’s easy for tourists to leave Hong Kong, even in the early morning. So visitors’ decision on whether they would stay in Hong Kong was made late." Meanwhile, Edward Leung, chairman of the Hong Kong Feast and Retreat Association, told the same programme that catering businesses at tourist areas saw a 15 to 20 percent boost. However, restaurants at districts near the border recorded a slight drop in business as many Hong Kong residents headed to the mainland during the Labour Day holiday. Edited by Aaron Tam