Hong Kong's record-breaking achievement of 21.8 million visitor arrivals in 2004 has brought with it a substantial boost to the economy, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) said on Wednesday.

The total expenditure associated to inbound tourism for 2004 reached HK$91.8 billion (US$11.77 billion), according to HKTB.

Both major components of tourism expenditure also recorded strong increases. Total destination consumption expenditure, defined as the payments made by visitors for goods and services consumed in Hong Kong, grew to HK$69.6 billion (US$8.81 billion).

Of this total, HK$38.6 billion (US$4.89 billion) was contributed by the record 12.2 million arrivals from Chinese mainland.

Across all markets, the destination expenditure contributed by overnight visitors was HK$61.1 billion (US$7.73 billion), while same-day in-town visitors spent HK$5.6 billion (US$0.7 billion).

According to the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, passenger international transportation expenditure, the receipts of Hong Kong based carriers for the cross-boundary transportation of non-resident visitors by air, sea or land, also grew to HK$22.3 billion (US$2.82 billion).

HKTB Executive Director Clara Chong said that the substantial increase in 2004 expenditure was highly encouraging and reflected the growing contribution made by tourism to Hong Kong's economy.

(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2005)