City sees arrivals hit record, welcomes 50 millionth visitor
A recovering economy and a depreciating Hong Kong dollar pushed visitor arrivals, flight passenger volumes and cargo tonnage to record high levels this year.
The number of visitors broke through 32 million during the first 11 months of 2010 - surpassing that of the whole of last year. The Airport Authority also saw the 50 millionth passenger land at Chek Lap Kok airport on Christmas Day.
The figures reinforced desperate calls for the construction of a third runway, with a think tank saying Chek Lap Kok would have to turn away flights by 2017 if passenger volume grew annually by only 6.5 per cent. That projection already takes into account enhancement measures to increase capacity.
The authority's chief executive Stanley Hui Hon-chung said a plan on the airport's future - which includes the feasibility of building a third runway - would be released for public consultation in six months.
'We will unveil in early 2011 a midfield development project that will result in a new passenger concourse and 20 additional parking stands by 2015,' Hui said. There would also be a master plan to outline the airport's aviation demands and development needs over the next 20 years.
Mainlanders continued to fuel the robust growth in Hong Kong's tourism as more than 20.4 million visitors crossed the border between January and November this year, a jump of 26.7 per cent over a year ago.
But Russians and Indians were the ones who topped the growth list. A visa-free arrangement between Russia and Hong Kong, coupled with Cathay Pacific's launch of the city's first direct flights to Moscow, helped double Russian arrivals during the first 11 months. Year-on-year growth for Indian visitors over the same period was 47.2 per cent.
Meanwhile, arrivals from Japan, buoyed by a strong yen, and South Korea rose by almost a quarter to about two million.
More than 18 million visitors stayed at least one night in Hong Kong, amounting to more than half of the total number of arrivals and marking a year-on-year rise of nearly 20 per cent. Most of the increase came from South and Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea.
The authority warned of slower growth in the months ahead as the base for comparison had widened, but Hui said the airport would enhance manpower and aircraft parking spaces to cater for another boom during the Lunar New Year holiday.
The lucky tourist who became the 50 millionth passenger to land in Chek Lap Kok this year - a record high - was Singaporean Wong Seng-hoe. He said it was the best Christmas gift as he pocketed nearly HK$190,000 worth of gifts and cash vouchers from the authority.
Returning home yesterday with his wife and daughter, the businessman said he would make sure he did not waste the coupons - which can be used only at Chek Lap Kok's retailers. 'I am a frequent flyer and pass through Hong Kong in transit at least six times a year. The coupons are just perfect for me to do some homecoming shopping for my wife.'
