Hong Kong is set to see fewer visitors from the mainland during the upcoming Spring Festival holidays amid waning enthusiasm for the SAR, even as it grapples with challenges brought by a cooling economy and competition from more attractive options.

According to Ctrip.com, a major online travel agency on the mainland, as of mid-January Hong Kong ranked a lowly sixth among the 10 most popular outbound mainland tourist destinations for Spring Festival, down from fourth position last year.

Thailand, Japan and South Korea were the top three choices according to the number of bookings on Ctrip.

Liu Ke, marketing director at Shenzhen China International Travel Service Co Ltd, said orders for Hong Kong-bound group travel during the Spring Festival have fallen about 50 percent compared to last year.

Individual travel is also facing a year-on-year decline of roughly 20 percent, Liu said.

Travel agencies are cutting prices in an effort to attract customers. Ctrip.com said the overall price for Hong Kong tours during this year's holiday has been reduced by 10 to 20 percent from last year's levels.

The number of mainland visitor arrivals in Hong Kong dropped 15.5 percent year-on-year to approximately 3.72 million in December 2015, according to the latest data from the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Wang Danqing, 28, an office clerk from Xiamen, Fujian province, said Hong Kong is no longer on her list when she thinks about traveling. With online shopping so quick and easy these day, Hong Kong does not tempt her any more.

There has been little development in tourism infrastructure since the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005, Liu said. Cultural resources of the city are not well-developed either.

But a Ctrip staff member was more optimistic. "Instead of shopping, sightseeing and family trips have become the mainstay of Hong Kong tours," he said. "Hong Kong's food, services and entertainment are still attractive, and convenient transportation and warm weather make it still a hot destination for short-haul travel."

sally@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 02/03/2016 page8)