More than 4m package tour visitors during 1st semester

In the first half of 2012, visitors in package tours totaled 4,082,895, up by 25.9% year-on-year to account for 30.1% of total visitor arrivals. According to data released yesterday by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), visitor arrivals in package tours increased by 8.4% year-on-year to 662,109 in June 2012. Visitors from Mainland China (465,860) went up by 3.8%, with 167,266 coming from Guangdong Province.

Besides, those from Taiwan (58,971); Hong Kong (28,649); the Republic of Korea (23,808); and Japan (22,225) increased by 66.2%, 23.4%, 22.1% and 25.8% respectively. DSEC further indicates that outbound residents in package tours surged by 74.4% year-on-year to 39,867 in June 2012. The most popular tour itineraries were Mainland China (67.3% of total) and the Republic of Korea (10.2%), with 16,892 travelling to Guangdong Province. In the first semester of 2012, residents travelling in package tours totaled 179,031, up by 52.4% year-on-year.

The data released yesterday reveals that outbound residents travelling under their own arrangements using travel agency services increased by 30.5% year-on-year to 69,326 in June 2012. The main destinations were Mainland China (48.7% of total); Hong Kong (22.4%); and Taiwan (15.7%). In the first half of 2012, residents travelling under such arrangements increased by 44.7% year-on-year to 401,145.