Will Hong Kong firms bear the brunt of Labour Day ‘golden week’ exodus?
Expectations low among business leaders, as some residents likely to set off on five-day getaways
Hong Kong authorities expect the mainland China’s coming five-day Labour Day “golden week” holiday to boost the average number of visitor arrivals heading to the city from across the border each day by 10 per cent.
The latter camp’s worries also stemmed from Labour Day landing on a Thursday this year, which encouraged residents to take a five-day break to travel outside the city by taking Friday off and combining it with Buddha’s Birthday on Monday, also a public holiday.
Chung Pok-man, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Department Stores and Commercial Staff General Union, said on Thursday that the sector needed to adopt a more prudent outlook for the golden week break. But he said he hoped business performance would be at the same level as the previous year.
“This year’s Easter business was relatively quiet because it’s not a mainland holiday, resulting in fewer tourists. Additionally, many Hong Kong residents chose to travel abroad during the break, negatively impacting the retail market,” Chung said.