Hong Kong residents made 65.8 million trips to the mainland last year with 66 percent for personal travel, Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department said Monday.

 

Of the 43.4 million personal trips, 55 percent were to Shenzhen, the department said.

 

According to the May 2007 issue of the Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics released Monday, business travel accounted for 34 percent or 22.4 million trips.

 

For the 43.4 million personal trips, 55 percent were destined for Shenzhen, 40 percent for other places in Guangdong and 5 percent for other places on the mainland.

 

Analyzed by length of stay, about 36 percent were same-day trips. The remaining 64 percent were overnight trips, with the average length of stay about 3.4 nights.

 

Total consumption expenditure of Hong Kong residents traveling to the mainland amounted to HK$26.3 billion (US$3.37 billion). The average expenditure per person-trip was HK$610 (US$78.2). For overnight trips, the average expenditure was HK$780 (US$100) and that for same-day trips was around HK$290 (US$37.18).

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2007)