Tourist growth numbers during the recent Labour Day "golden week" holiday were higher than originally forecast, Hong Kong's No. 2 official said on Saturday, adding that the government would closely track the new preferences of visitors on social media.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said 1.1 million people visited Hong Kong during the five-day break, a rise of 22% from last year, which exceeded the original estimate of a 10% increase.
Chan added that hotel occupancy rates generally reached 90%.
"We did a lot of preparation in advance to ensure that the overall order of visitors was good," he told a radio programme.
"Overall, the performance of the Labour Day holiday was satisfactory."
Chan said that an interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements that he led had reviewed public transport services and measures at attractions before the break.
He noted that the increased frequency of minibuses at the popular High Island Reservoir's East Dam in Sai Kung resulted in smooth operations, with visitors spared long queues.
Authorities would consider using different methods, such as electric vehicles to pick up tourists for sightseeing in the future, he added.
Chan also said authorities had coordinated with tour groups to arrange for visitors to have meals and visit attractions at different times.
He added that the government would study the use of more technologies and closely monitor trends on mainland Chinese social media platforms to better understand visitors' preferences.
The golden week holiday ran from May 1 to May 5 on the mainland, with tourists flocking to the city for day trips and others staying longer for shopping and dining.
Labour Day is also a public holiday in Hong Kong. This year, residents were able to enjoy a five-day break by taking one day off and combining it with the weekend and Buddha's Birthday, which was also a public holiday.
Chan said Hong Kong should welcome different types of tourists, not just focus on high-spending groups.
He said student visitors, despite their low consumption power, might become high-spending tourists in the future and could return if they gained a good impression of the city. They might also choose to study in Hong Kong or stay to work to make contributions to the city, he said.
His remarks echoed those of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who earlier stressed that the city should welcome all types of visitors irrespective of how much money they spent. Lee said that "the image of Hong Kong as a city that welcomes tourists is very important".
According to calculations by the South China Morning Post, the city recorded 919,639 mainland arrivals over the five-day holiday compared with 759,373 over the same period in 2024, marking an increase of 21%.
The city also welcomed 180,087 visitors from locations beyond the mainland, an increase of 34% year on year compared with 134,391 recorded in 2024.