Hong Kong Q1 visitor arrivals up 7.8 pct yr-on-yr; March arrivals up 10.9 pct

HONG KONG (AFX-ASIA) - The number of visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in the first quarter grew by 7.8 pct year-on-year to 3.197 mln, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said.	    In a statement, it said that in March, the number of visitor arrivals grew by 10.9 pct year-on-year to 1.16 mln.	    Despite the positive arrival figures, the board said it is monitoring the situation due to the economic slowdown in the U.S. and the stalled recovery in Japan.	    Arrivals in March from Thailand grew by 43.3 pct, while arrivals from India grew by 23.1 pct.	    Arrivals from the mainland rose by 14.2 pct but growth from Japan softened to 3.3 pct due to the weak yen.	    Arrivals from Indonesia fell by 0.6 pct as consumers held back travel plans due to the rupiah's fluctuations and the unstable political situation, the board said.	    Overall hotel occupancy for March stood at 83 pct, compared with 86 pct in March last year.	    The daily average number of rooms available for occupancy rose by 2.3 pct year on year in March.	    Of the total visitor arrivals in March, 65.2 pct stayed in Hong Kong for one night or longer, compared with 68.3 pct in the previous year.

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