Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals totalled 3,053,690 in December 2017, the highest monthly record since August 2014, up by 8.5% year-on-year and 7.8% month-to-month. Overnight visitors (1,635,305) and same-day visitors (1,418,385) went up by 5.5% and 12.2% respectively year-on year. The average length of stay of visitors held steady year-on-year at 1.2 days, with that of overnight visitors and same-day visitors standing at 2.1 days and 0.2 day respectively.
Visitors from Mainland China increased by 15.8% year-on-year to 2,068,760 in December, with those travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme rising by 15.7% to 983,933. Mainland visitors came primarily from Guangdong Province (817,005), Hunan Province (98,474), Hubei Province (74,925) and Fujian Province (73,037). Visitors from Hong Kong (572,470) and Taiwan (88,591) dropped by 5.4% and 6.4% respectively year-on-year, while those from the Republic of Korea (77,141) rose by 9.0%. Meanwhile, visitors from the United States (17,745), Canada (7,184) and the United Kingdom (4,499) registered decreases, whereas those from Australia (9,460) increased.
Visitor arrivals reached 32,610,506 in 2017, up by 5.4% year-on-year. Overnight visitors (17,254,838) increased by 9.9% and same-day visitors (15,355,668) edged up by 0.7%. The average length of stay of visitors remained the same as in 2016 at 1.2 days; the average stay of overnight visitors and same-day visitors held stable at 2.1 days and 0.2 day respectively. Analysed by country/place, visitors from Mainland China (22,196,203) and the Republic of Korea (874,253) went up by 8.5% and 32.0% respectively year-on-year, while those from Hong Kong (6,165,129) and Taiwan (1,060,107) decreased by 4.0% and 1.3% respectively. Moreover, visitors from the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom recorded decline.
Analysed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by land rose by 4.9% year-on-year to 18,629,788, with those arriving through the Border Gate (16,098,629) increasing by 4.0%. Visitor arrivals by sea (11,236,083) went up by 4.3% year-on-year; those disembarking at the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal (6,888,952) and Taipa Ferry Terminal (4,347,131) grew by 5.4% and 2.8% respectively. Visitor arrivals by air increased by 13.7% year-on-year to 2,744,635, with those arriving at the airport (2,731,605) rising by 13.6%.