Hong Kong visitor numbers surge in July
Official figures show that 3.6 million visitors came to Hong Kong in July, marking an increase of more than 30 percent on the June figure.  It brought the total number of arrivals in the first seven months of the year to nearly 16.5 million.  The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) said on Friday that the figures were boosted by travel from the mainland and Southeast Asia, with visitor numbers now approaching pre-Covid levels. “Visitor arrivals from the Philippines and Thailand each [reached] more than 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels last month, followed by the mainland, which has recovered by about 70 percent,” the board’s executive director, Dane Cheng, said in a statement.  He said a change in travel and spending behaviour has been observed among visitors as they seek out more in-depth and diversified experiences.  Younger tourists are especially interested in arts and culture, as well as green tourism, Cheng added. “In the coming months, the HKTB will continue to invite different groups of people to visit Hong Kong to experience the city's diverse tourism offerings to produce more positive word-of-mouth for better promotion, and organise flagship events to attract visitors to Hong Kong,” he said.