Hong Kong's "Occupy Central" movement doesn't dampen Taiwanese travel enthusiasm   Hong Kong Tourism Board: Only a few cancellations

Reported by You t
ru / Comprehensive report

As mainland China's Golden Week begins, the Occupy Central situation in Hong Kong continues. Hong Kong, which used to be crowded with mainland tourists in previous years, appears unusually quiet this year. However, the number of Taiwanese tourists has not decreased. The Hong Kong Tourism Board stated that Taiwanese travel agencies have only received sporadic cancellation calls and have not seen any significant impact.


▲"Occupy Central" prompts China to issue travel warnings; Golden Week may see a drop in performance. (Photo / Eastern News)

Mainland China's "Golden Week" National Day holiday began yesterday (1st). Due to the Occupy Central protests taking place in shopping districts densely populated by tourists such as Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Causeway Bay, many shops chose to close rather than do business, directly affecting foot traffic. Mainland travel agencies have opted not to accept tour group registrations to Hong Kong during the Golden Week holiday and have prohibited organizing trips to the city. It is understood that even Hong Kong Disneyland, a favorite among mainland tourists, has been affected, with visitor numbers dropping by 30%. The entire park is quieter than in previous years.

As for Taiwanese tourism, the Hong Kong Tourism Board stated that since the start of Occupy Central, they have been inquiring daily with major travel agencies about traveler conditions. With a three-day long weekend next week, many Taiwanese tourists planned and booked their Hong Kong trips early. However, so far, there have been no reports of large-scale order cancellations, only sporadic ones. Whether Taiwanese tourists are truly affected by Occupy Central will only be clear after the end-of-month statistics on travelers to Hong Kong are available.