Multiple-entry visas for Shenzhen residents boosted Hong Kong food and beverage sector, says industry veteran
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong’s food and beverage sector has benefited from the recent resumption of multiple-entry visas for Shenzhen residents, an industry veteran has said. The winter solstice period has seen a recovery in business nearing pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels, they added.
Simon Wong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades, told RTHK on Sunday that revenue during the solstice period totalled HK$400 million, per the association’s estimates.
“The figure was very much close to that of pre-pandemic levels. It’s higher than what I had expected, ” Wong said in Cantonese, “The multiple-entry visas for Shenzhen residents helped bring people flow and the festive atmosphere.”
Wong added that many hotel buffets have saw full bookings on Christmas Eve – a positive sign for local consumption. The industry leader said he was optimistic that business at Christmas would be better than last year’s, which saw weak consumption as local residents made 1.32 million outbound trips during the festive weekend.
As of December 1, Shenzhen residents may apply for a multiple-entry visa which allows for unlimited visits to Hong Kong for a year. The government resumed the scheme after it was previously halted in 2015.
The number of visitors arriving from mainland China to Hong Kong via land checkpoints during weekends has seen a significant increase since the resumption of the scheme.
Last weekend, a total of 280,387 visitors arrived in Hong Kong from mainland China via various land checkpoints – 30 per cent more than what the city had welcomed during the weekend of November 23 and 24, according to the Immigration Department.
The government does not provide specific figures relating to Shenzhen residents’ arrivals.
Outbound trips
Meanwhile, the city continued to see a strong outbound flow as residents set off on Christmas holidays abroad.
Last weekend, over 865,000 Hong Kong residents left the city via the airport and various land checkpoints – 16 per cent higher than a week before.
Among all the outbound trips, nearly 123,000 were overseas trips made via Hong Kong International Airport. Local media outlets reported on long lines at check-in counters for flights to popular destinations like Japan and Thailand on Sunday.
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