China tourism industry booming, more mainland travellers heading to HK

China's leading online travel service said the country's tourism industry is booming, and it expects a 50 per cent jump in mainland customers travelling to Hong Kong this year.

That will come as good news for the city, whose tourism industry is powered by the millions of visitors who cross the border each year. China's top online travel service Ctrip.com and Hong Kong beauty products retailer Bonjour, have joined hands to promote tourism on the mainland and in Hong Kong.

The two firms are launching a joint VIP card with special deals for cardholders travelling around China, Hong Kong and Macau. After a pick-up in 2009, Ctrip.com said tourism business is booming, especially with customers travelling to Hong Kong.

Tang Lan, VP of Sales & Marketing at Ctrip.com said: "Now we are the number one travel agency for mainland China travellers going to Hong Kong. And the number in 2008 was about 90,000. And 2009, it reached 150,000." Ctrip.com expects to see a 50 per cent jump this year in mainland customers travelling to Hong Kong.

Mainland visitors are a key driver of Hong Kong's tourism industry. An estimated 17 million of them flock across the border each year. Meanwhile, Hong Kong-grown Bonjour has seen sales jump by 33 per cent in the first half of the year.

And with a growing number of mainland Chinese tourists in Hong Kong, it is keeping positive on its sales outlook. "Up to now, (sales) is about 35 per cent. We expect the percentage will increase to about 50 per cent in the next few years," said Alan Chan, executive director of Bonjour. In the first half of this year, more than 10 million mainland tourists visited Hong Kong, an increase of 23 per cent compared to a year ago.

Sourced=channelnewsasia