About 410,000 mainland tourists were estimated to be traveling in Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year, up 25 percent from last year, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Development Board.

About two billion Hong Kong dollars (US$ 256.4 million) is expected to be pumped into Hong Kong's economy as a result, theboard estimated.

Amongst the tourists, about 17,000 tourists had signed up for the special Hong Kong Tours during the Chinese New Year this year,up 42 percent from last year, said a major tour operator in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Sun Jiangang, director and general manager of China Travel Service (Hong Kong and Macao Tour) Management Hong Kong, which organizes such tours, said over 68 such tours were organized during the period, and the tourists were from Shandong Province, Henan Province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Beijing and Shanghai.

( People's Daily February 19, 2002 )