'Oct 1 could bring more long-haul tourists to HK'
A tourism representative on Wednesday said he believes a series of local celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China will attract more travellers to the city. A drone show, free trams and ferries, as well as half-price movie tickets, are among the items on offer. Timothy Chui, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said the celebratory events will bring more long-haul tourists to the city.  "The hotel bookings for October 1 are looking good," he said on an RTHK programme. "Prices for some budget and mid-range hotels have gone up a bit. They're about 10 to 15 percent higher than usual. Despite this, reservations for these hotels are quite popular." A catering representative also hopes things will look up for National Day. Simon Wong, who heads the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said he hopes discounts offered by some 3,000 eateries on October 1 will attract Hongkongers to spend locally. That's after a 10 to 15 percent drop in business during the Mid-Autumn Festival because of the growing trend of Hongkongers heading north to spend. "The most important thing is to attract local customers. Looking at the business breakdown of our catering industry in the past, local consumption made up around 90 percent, while tourists accounted for only 10 to 12 percent," Wong said.