Although Shanghai tourist numbers bound for Hong Kong increased in July, they were well down compared to the same vacation period last year, city immigration police said yesterday.

Tourists leaving Shanghai in July were about 40 percent more than those in June, but still about 30 percent less than July 2008, officials said.

"Many parents took their children to Hong Kong last month," said Wang Danlin, an official with the police.

Tour agencies said Hong Kong's scenic spots, such as Disneyland and Ocean Park, were attractive to children, while women found it a shopping paradise.

The tourism market, however, is still adversely affected by the global financial downturn and the spread of the A-H1N1 virus.

Some luxury hotels in Hong Kong will provide about 30 percent discounts on rooms.

"Usually Hong Kong-bound tour packages are more expensive in the summer, but this year is an exception," said Dong Ming, deputy general manager of Jinjiang International Travel Service Co Ltd.

(Shanghai Daily August 4, 2009)