Russia Accounts for Highest Growth of Tourist Arrivals to Hong Kong in 2010

The number of Russians who visited Hong Kong in 2010 amounted to 86,800 people, which is 102% more than in 2009, a correspondent of TOURPROM was told by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Russia was the absolute world leader for the rate of growth of tourist arrivals to the region for 2010: in 2010, 86,800 Russians visited Hong Kong – this is 102% more than in 2009, when Hong Kong received 42,980 tourists from Russia. (In December 2010, Hong Kong was visited by 8,339 Russians, which is 58.5% more than in December 2009).

In addition to the positive global factors affecting the statistics, the increased interest of Russians in Hong Kong was also due to an agreement on the mutual abolition of visa requirements, which came into force on 1 July 2009, allowing Russians to stay in Hong Kong without a visa for up to 14 days, as well as the increase in the number of direct flights between Moscow and Hong Kong in the summer of 2010.