Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui opined that mainland China will remain the region's primary source market for at least another five years.
This is despite the release of a new strategic blueprint to develop Hong Kong's burgeoning tourism sector.
In a recent interview, Law said: “The fact that mainlanders constitute the largest number of tourists to Hong Kong will not change in five years because of the proximity between Hong Kong and other mainland cities.”
Even so, Law is confident that the number of foreign travelers will continue to grow, citing a more than 30 percent year-over-year increase during the most recent holiday season.
He said: “Whether international tourists will increase, that is my aim. And I'm very confident that the city can achieve that.”
A necessary blueprint
Hong Kong officials recently unveiled a blueprint to develop a highly-anticipated tourism industry, which aims to boost the economy by US$15.5 billion and employ 210,000 people over the next five years.
The blueprint highlights smart initiatives such as pandas, horse races, mega events and strategies to attract foreign arrivals.
Similarly, the blueprint emphasizes Hong Kong's role as a hub for international and multi-destination tourism where East meets West.