The Hong Kong Tourism Board said on Friday it is adjusting its marketing strategies to work harder on the Chinese mainland market, in addition to depending on food and wine carnivals and the East Asian Games for support.

Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong grew 4.7 percent year on year to 29.5 million in 2008, but a detailed breakdown showed a decline of 0.9 percent in the fourth quarter due to the impacts of the global financial tsunami, said James Tien, chairman of the board.

Visitors to Hong Kong spend an average of 5,360 HK dollars (687 U.S. dollars) on one visit, up 4.6 percent year on year, statistics of the Tourism Board showed.

Visitor arrivals from the Chinese mainland grew 8.9 percent to hit 16.86 million and many of them were from the neighboring Pearl River Delta region.

Tien said the board projected a decline of 1.6 percent in visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in 2009, with a growth of 4.1 percent in mainland market and 0.4 percent in short-haul markets offset by a sharp decline of 12.4 percent in long-hauls.

But it is "challenging" to achieve the projected figure as the projection was made in November and the picture may get even worse amid the economic downturn, he added.

The Tourism Board will conduct a review in March, Tien told reporters.

Tien revealed that the Tourism Board is adjusting its marketing strategies and spending at least half of its resources to marketing on the mainland market.

More work will be done on the mainland to explore the market beyond the neighboring Guangdong province, and consumption tours will be better promoted in Guangdong.

The Tourism Board is also working harder on cruise tours and has charged a newly established department with promoting Hong Kong as a convention and exhibition hub.

Tien said Hong Kong will also stage an international wine fair and a food exposition in the second half of this year to increase the appeal of Hong Kong to visitors, and will capitalize on the East Asian Games due in Hong Kong in November.

Source: Xinhua