Hong Kong residents embarked on nearly 400,000 outbound trips on Sunday ahead of the Christmas holiday, an increase of 15 per cent from the same day last year, with short-haul trips to Taiwan, Japan and Thailand remaining popular destinations.
Meanwhile, the travel industry is gearing up for the coming year by developing packages to new mainland Chinese destinations, with Hong Kong set to launch direct high-speed rail routes to certain locations from January 5.
“High-speed rail trips are gaining popularity. The fixed ticket prices on weekdays and holidays also make it easier for travel agencies to plan their products,” Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, told a radio show on Monday.
According to figures released by the Immigration Department on Monday, Hong Kong recorded a total of 595,119 outbound trips the previous day, of which 396,849, or 67 per cent, were Hongkongers.
The number of outbound trips by locals was a 15 per cent increase from the 344,836 recorded on December 22 last year.
On Sunday, the city also logged a total of 544,593 inbound passenger trips, including 369,328 Hong Kong residents and 135,515 mainland visitors.