individual visit scheme
Name: Yau Wai Yin Student ID: 13082341D
Topic: Hong Kong as a tourism hub
The impact of Individual Visit Scheme to Hong Kong
Individual Visit Scheme has being launched for ten years in Hong Kong. This scheme helps boost tourism and brings benefits to Hong Kong economy and society. However, the reality reveals that it also brings some negative impacts to Hong Kong. This paper examines both the arguments for and against Individual Visit Scheme in Hong Kong.
Promoting retail and accommodation development is one of the major positive outcomes of Individual Visit Scheme. The business receipts in retail and accommodation services keep increasing in these few years. For instance, profits in retail and accommodation services have grown 24.9% and 19.6% respectively in 2011 and 9.8% and 13.8% separately in 2012 (Census and Statistics Department, 2013). This growth may be brought by the huge expenditure of mainlanders. In 2012, total expenditure of them on shopping is 82.7% of that of all visitors and total expenditure of them on hotel bills is 42.7% of that of all visitors (Hong Kong Tourism Board [HKTB], 2013a). These statistics exhibit that mainland travellers are the main consumers in retail and accommodation. Consequently, Individual Visit Scheme is vital to the earning in retail and accommodation and it supports the development in these two aspects in Hong Kong.
As well as the economic benefits, Individual Visit Scheme leads to reduce unemployment rate. Mak, Chairman of Hong Kong Retail Management Association (as cited in Hong Kong Sing Pao Daily News, 2013) observes that number of employees in retail industry has grown 17% since the launching of Individual Visit Scheme in 2013. Also, according to recent figure, unemployment rate decreased from 4.3% in 2010 to 3.4% in 2011 (Census and Statistics Department, 2012). This reflects that Individual Visit Scheme causes increase in demand of workers in retail industry. As a result, citizens have higher job
Topic: Hong Kong as a tourism hub
The impact of Individual Visit Scheme to Hong Kong
Individual Visit Scheme has being launched for ten years in Hong Kong. This scheme helps boost tourism and brings benefits to Hong Kong economy and society. However, the reality reveals that it also brings some negative impacts to Hong Kong. This paper examines both the arguments for and against Individual Visit Scheme in Hong Kong.
Promoting retail and accommodation development is one of the major positive outcomes of Individual Visit Scheme. The business receipts in retail and accommodation services keep increasing in these few years. For instance, profits in retail and accommodation services have grown 24.9% and 19.6% respectively in 2011 and 9.8% and 13.8% separately in 2012 (Census and Statistics Department, 2013). This growth may be brought by the huge expenditure of mainlanders. In 2012, total expenditure of them on shopping is 82.7% of that of all visitors and total expenditure of them on hotel bills is 42.7% of that of all visitors (Hong Kong Tourism Board [HKTB], 2013a). These statistics exhibit that mainland travellers are the main consumers in retail and accommodation. Consequently, Individual Visit Scheme is vital to the earning in retail and accommodation and it supports the development in these two aspects in Hong Kong.
As well as the economic benefits, Individual Visit Scheme leads to reduce unemployment rate. Mak, Chairman of Hong Kong Retail Management Association (as cited in Hong Kong Sing Pao Daily News, 2013) observes that number of employees in retail industry has grown 17% since the launching of Individual Visit Scheme in 2013. Also, according to recent figure, unemployment rate decreased from 4.3% in 2010 to 3.4% in 2011 (Census and Statistics Department, 2012). This reflects that Individual Visit Scheme causes increase in demand of workers in retail industry. As a result, citizens have higher job
References: Apple Daily. (2012). 70% respondents complain that the launching of Individual Visit Scheme push the price level up, the price of baby milk and lemon tea rise 10% in half year. Retrieved from http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20120929/18027599 CBRE Hong Kong. (2012). Hong Kong Remains World’s Top Destination for Luxury Brands. Retrieved from http://www.cbre.com.hk/EN/aboutus/mediacentre/mediaarchives/Pages/04252012.aspx Census and Statistics Department. (2012). Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics. Hong Kong: Census and Statistics Department. Census and Statistics Department. (2013). Table 094 : Year-on-year % Change of Business Receipts Indices for Service Industries and Service Domains Business Services Statistics Section. Retrieved from http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp70.jsp?tableID=094&ID=0&productType=8 Hong Kong Tourism Board. (2013a). A Statistical Review of Hong Kong Tourism 2012. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Tourism Board. Hong Kong Tourism Board. (2013b). Market Summary June 2013 – Mainland China. Retrieved from https://securepartnernet.hktb.com/filemanager/intranet/mkt_sum/mkt_sum_en/mkt_sum_en_cn/MS_Jun_2013_-_Mainland_China_EN_0.pdf Resolve today’s little friction to broaden the way tomorrow. (2013, October 13). Hong Kong Sing Pao Daily News, p. 4. South China Morning Post. (2013). Milk powder row triggers calls for review of visit scheme. Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1142724/calls-review-mainland-solo-visit-scheme