Golden Week tourists to boost city by HK$2 billion

　　Kevin Yeung says around 670,000 mainland tourists came to Hong Kong in the first four days of the Golden Week holiday.

　　Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung said the total number of mainland tourists coming to Hong Kong should reach the estimated 800,000 mark with the Golden Week holiday wrapping up on Sunday, adding it would boost the economy by over HK$2 billion.

　　Speaking on a radio programme on Sunday, Yeung said approximately 670,000 mainland tourists had already come to the territory in the first four days despite the rainy weather.

　　“The entire Guangdong Province was affected by the unstable weather, and tourists can see that the weather is also not that good in Hong Kong, so they may postpone their trip. However, the overall numbers aren't bad,” he said.

　　“I believe that we will reach our estimated number of tourists. If we have around 800,000 mainland tourists coming to Hong Kong, I think we can earn over two billion dollars in consumption. Even though we have only reached about 700,000 people so far, we should still reach over two billion dollars.”

　　Responding to the mixed reviews of the Labour Day pyrotechnic display, Yeung said it was no surprise that people had expectations for the fireworks show, but the weather was unpredictable in how it would affect the viewing experience.

　　“Rain is hard to predict, unlike wind which comes when it comes. Even if you see rain clouds, you don't know if it will actually rain. So up until 4pm of that day, we then decided it was appropriate to host the show,” he said.

　　“I was watching from the top of a bridge where the wind was hitting so from the start of the fireworks, the smoke did reach me. However, from other viewing angles, people have sent me clear and beautiful photos of the show.”

　　He added they would learn from this experience and do better in terms of publicity and expectation management in the future.