Hong Kong gears up for Christmas, but spenders may not be in holiday spirit
Airport Authority expects visitor numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels, and retailers are preparing promotional campaigns, but economists not optimistic
Hong Kong’s tourism sector is anticipating a boost in business from greater visitor numbers over Christmas as retailers begin their holiday promotions, while airport passenger volumes are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Airport Authority chairman Fred Lam Tin-fuk said on Sunday passenger and cargo volumes at the airport were already at about 85 t0 90 per cent of levels last seen before the pandemic hit in 2020.
“We expect [those volumes] should be fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels by Christmas time,” Lam added.
He also said the third runway system, which is expected to launch by the end of the month, would help boost capacity by up to 50 per cent, and the authority expected to witness growth over the coming years.
The authority earlier reported the Hong Kong International Airport handled 4.92 million passengers in August, representing a 23 per cent increase over the same month last year. The airport handled 6 million passengers in August 2019.
Tourism Board executive director Dane Cheng Ting-yat earlier said WinterFest, the body’s Christmas campaign, would launch on November 22, a week earlier than it did last year in the hopes of attracting more visitors to Hong Kong.
