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Short-stay tourists lift revenue
By Wanda Szeto A total of $120 million in revenue was generated after the Government waived airport departure tax for transit visitors, the Hong Kong Tourist Association said yesterday. Executive director Amy Chan Cheng Yi-yim said: "The policy has greatly encouraged transit travellers with an average of 20,000 visitors every month." Airport departure tax is $50 for those aged 12 and over. But since last April, transit passengers taking a connecting flight before midnight on the same day are exempt from paying the tax. "They originally stayed in the airport for transit, but now they leave. They use the airport railway to go to Maritime Square in Tsing Yi or reach the centre of Kowloon or Hong Kong Island." Mrs Chan said the transit tourists had used the tax-free benefits, each spending an average of $500 in a day. Meanwhile, a third Visitor Information and Services Centre was opened in Central
yesterday, allowing visitors access to books and the Internet. |
