Visitors from the Chinese mainland have become the highest per capita spenders among all markets, with each of the 4.4 million mainland visitors staying an average 3.46 nights and spending 5,169 HK dollars (US$ 662) last year in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Tourism Board announced Tuesday.

Hong Kong's total tourism receipts grew 4.5 percent to reach 64. 28 billion HK dollars (US$ 8.24 billion) last year, and the mainland takes over top spot from the Americas, whose visitors nevertheless increased their spending by 2.2 percent to a per capita average of 5,072 HK dollars (US$ 650), figures released by the HKTB show.

Hong Kong's other long-haul markets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific also recorded encouraging increases in per capita spending, the HKTB said.

In total, the average per capita spending of Hong Kong's 13.7 million visitors in 2001 was 4,532 HK dollars (US$ 581), a marginal decrease of just seven HK dollars, or 0.2 percent, on that of 2000, the HKTB figures show.

Encouragingly, average length of stay of visitors to Hong Kong reversed a declining trend in 2001, growing 2.7 percent to 3.08 nights, with several markets, notably Australia, Africa and the Middle East, showing significant increases in length of stay.

Announcing the figures Tuesday, HKTB Executive Director Clara Chong said the good result is due to the HKTB's "vigorous efforts to promote longer visits through the City of Life: Hong Kong is it campaign."

For 2002, the HKTB is forecasting a 7.9 percent growth in arrivals to 14.81 million. "Despite continuing economic concerns affecting many of our key markets, we believe this level of growth is attainable because of the huge potential for development in the mainland market," Chong said.

( People's Daily March 6, 2002)