Fewer Indonesians visiting Hong Kong

JAKARTA (JP): The number of Indonesian visitors to Hong Kong decreased last year despite an increase in foreign tourists to the island.

Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) data showed the number of Indonesian visitors to the island fell 5.1 percent last year from 174,960 visitors in 1995. In December alone the number of visitors fell 28.9 percent to 13,006.

Esther D. Ginting of Inke Maris & Associates Communication, the public relations consultant for HKTA, said Indonesian interest in visiting other countries like Australia might have contributed to the drop.

"Indonesian visitors to Singapore have also decreased this year," she said yesterday.

HKTA data showed a 14.7 rise in the number of foreign visitors last year. There were 11.7 million visitors last year, up from 10.2 million in 1995.

The association said extra flights to Hong Kong partially contributed to the increase.

Japanese visitors made up 20.4 percent of all foreign tourists, while the Chinese had second place with 19.7 percent of all tourists.

The number of Japanese tourists rose 40.9 percent to 2.38 million people last year. The number increased 63.8 percent last December from December 1995.

There was also a rise in the number of visitors from other countries. A 27.7 percent increase from the Philippines, a 25.2 percent increase from Singapore, a 22.9 percent increase from India, an 18.6 percent increase from Malaysia and a 15.8 percent increase from New Zealand.

HKTA said it expected a rise of between 6 percent and 8 percent in the number of visitors this year. (02)