Paul Chan vows government will build on momentum with coming mega-events and work with different sectors to entice visitors to stay longer
Hong Kong’s strong tourism rebound has driven a steady recovery in retail sales and the government will keep up the momentum with a packed calendar of mega-events in the coming months, the finance chief has said.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said on Sunday the government would work with different sectors to attract more visitors and encourage them to stay longer to maximise the economic benefits of mega-events.
Writing on his weekly blog, Chan noted that retail sales in August hit HK$30.3 billion (US$3.89 billion), up by 3.8 per cent, year on year, exceeding market expectations.
“This marks four consecutive months of growth and the largest increase in 20 months,” he said. “With a stable housing market, strong stock performance and rising tourist numbers, local retail is steadily recovering.”
