GBA Briefs

Hong Kong

Visitor arrivals in July up 10% from a year ago

The number of tourists arriving in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in July reached 3.92 million - up 10 percent from the same period in 2023 - with about half of them staying overnight.

According to provisional figures from the Hong Kong Tourism Board released on Aug 15, the city received about 25 million visitors in the first seven months of 2024 - a year-on-year rise of 52 percent. The year-on-year increases in the number of visitors from the Chinese mainland and elsewhere stood at 47 percent and 71 percent, respectively.

The HKTB said pyrotechnic and festival-themed drone displays will be held in tandem with upcoming festivals and other events in the coming months to continue attracting visitors.

Macao

MICE events a boost for non-gaming industries

A total of 702 convention and exhibition events were held in the Macao Special Administrative Region in the first half of this year - 34.5 percent more than in the same period in 2023. The SAR's Statistics and Census Services Department said the figures had returned to 2019 levels.

It's estimated that the second half of 2024, particularly from September to November, will be the peak season for the city's MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) sector, with about 1,500 such activities due to be organized this year. MICE events in the first half of this year lifted revenues of non-gaming industries in Macao by about 2.47 billion patacas ($307 million) - an increase of over 30 percent year-on-year.

Guangzhou

Joint competitions offer total prizes of 4.5m yuan

Two major innovation and entrepreneurship competitions will be jointly organized in the Guangdong provincial capital, Guangzhou, and the HKSAR from August to November, with total prizes reaching 4.5 million yuan ($630,000).

Startups from the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, Taiwan and overseas will be invited to showcase their cutting-edge research results, with the aim of attracting more entrepreneurial projects to Guangzhou.

The deadline for applications is tentatively set for Sept 15. Teams qualifying for the semifinals and finals will be offered a chance to explore opportunities for scientific research collaboration and business development in Guangzhou's Nansha District with representatives from the local government, universities and top-notch technology companies.

Shenzhen

Museum to highlight digital civilization innovation

Shenzhen's new Science and Technology Museum - the world's first to focus on digital civilization innovation - is due to begin operating early next year.

According to the Shenzhen Guangming District People's Government, the 128,000-square-meter facility, located in the district, will have seven functional zones featuring a technology exhibition area, a science education cinema, an innovation practice arena, technology exchange, public services, business management and a science park.

Designed as a new city landmark, the museum aims to boost Shenzhen's profile as an international technology hub, and play a vital role as a key educational platform for nurturing scientific minds.

Zhuhai

Hengqin port sees 60% surge in cross-border traffic

Cross-border crossings at Hengqin Port, which links Zhuhai on the Chinese mainland with the Macao Special Administrative Region, have gone up by an average of more than 60 percent annually since the crossing opened four years ago.

According to the Zhuhai authorities, Hengqin has recorded more than 48 million individual crossings and 5.88 million vehicle passages since its inauguration in 2020, with an average year-on-year growth of 62.2 percent and 40.4 percent, respectively.

Daily traffic has hit record highs this year, peaking at 86,000 for individual commuters and 7,200 for vehicles.

Foshan

Low-altitude economy set to drive growth

Foshan has unveiled a three-year plan for high-quality development of the low-altitude economy, taking advantage of the emerging sector.

According to the 2024-26 blueprint, the city aims to increase the low-altitude industrial cluster's output to 10 billion yuan by 2030. To achieve this goal, 14 key tasks have been set, such as strengthening the overall planning of low-altitude manufacturing, increasing investments, building industrial carriers, expanding application scenarios, promoting regional integrated development, and participating in formulating standards.

The low-altitude economy is becoming a new driver of growth in the country. It was first written into the annual government work report this year.

Huizhou

Chemical materials project boosts petrochemical sector

Construction work on a new chemical materials project with a total investment of 2.6 billion yuan began in Huizhou earlier this month. The project will become one of the nation's largest plasticizer manufacturing bases when it becomes operational late next year.

The developer, Guangdong Lingchuang Chemical New Materials Co, aims to generate 8.8 billion yuan in economic output when the project reaches its full production capacity.

The facility is one of the key projects of Huizhou's new material industrial park as the city strives to become a major base in the global petrochemical industry.

Dongguan

Foreign trade volume in July hits 22-month high

Dongguan's overall foreign trade last month hit a 22-month high. The city's foreign trade imports and exports reached 125.23 billion yuan - up 19.1 percent year-on-year, ranking second among cities in Guangdong province.

Imports from and exports to traditional markets saw rapid growth, with year-on-year increases of 16.2 percent, 46.9 percent, 19 percent, 18.7 percent and 19.5 percent recorded for the Association of South Asian Nations, Hong Kong, the United States, Taiwan and the European Union.

Imports and exports to other members states of the BRICS grouping, such as Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, grew by 10 percent.

Zhongshan

Surge in property inquiries after new link opening

The newly opened Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link has spurred the enthusiasm of Shenzhen and Hong Kong residents seeking to purchase properties in Zhongshan.

The number of inquiries made about Zhongshan's residential properties has climbed by 50 percent since the link's opening on June 30. Most of the customers are from Shenzhen and Hong Kong, according to an employee of Centaline Property. The proportion of Hong Kong residents purchasing properties for their own use and for investment stands at 50 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

The budget of most potential Hong Kong homebuyers is between 1 million and 3 million yuan, with two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments of about 100 square meters being their favorite choices.

Jiangmen

Foreign trade goes up 18%, hitting 16.8b yuan

Jiangmen's foreign trade rose to 16.8 billion yuan last month, representing an 18.2 percent year-on-year increase and a four-month consecutive growth, according to the city's Customs. Exports grew 17.7 percent on a yearly basis to 14.1 billion yuan, while imports climbed 21.2 percent to 2.8 billion yuan.

In the first seven months, Jiangmen's total foreign trade reached 108 billion yuan, posting an 11.8 percent year-on-year rise. The growth rate was 5.6 percentage points higher than the nation's average level.

Zhaoqing

Beer carnival drives local spending, boosts tourism

A beer carnival in Zhaoqing has contributed to local consumption and the revitalization of tourism, and triggered the integration and development of the city's agriculture, culture, tourism and sports sectors.

Revenues of stalls taking part in the nine-day carnival that ended on Aug 11 rose by 31 percent compared to the event's previous edition, and beer sales reached 450 metric tons - an eight-fold year-on-year increase.

Zhaoqing's scenic spots, where the event was held, recorded a total of 250,000 visitors, marking a 67-percent increase from the previous year. Hotels in those areas were fully booked.