Concerns over earthquakes have contributed to a decline in the number of Hong Kong residents joining tour groups to some popular Asian destinations this Easter, despite prices falling by as much as 15% over last year’s level, one of the city’s largest travel agents has said.
Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, executive director of EGL Tours, also told a radio programme on Sunday that tour group prices were decreasing due to the stronger Hong Kong dollar and cheaper flights as the cost of jet fuel fell and airline passenger capacity increased.
“For a six-day trip to Japan, prices range from about HK$10,000 (43,000 baht) to HK$13,000 this year, down from HK$10,000 to HK$16,000 last year, which is quite a marked decline,” he said.
When asked about the effects of recent earthquakes on tour group bookings, Huen said: “If we compare Easter this year with last year, there is a slight single percentage point contraction, which may be due to factors that are uncertain to everyone.
“Everyone will think about [the quakes], but the impact is not too big.”
A 5.6-magnitude quake struck near Meiktila, a small city in central Myanmar, on Sunday morning, although there were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.
On March 28, the country was rocked by a 7.7-magnitude quake that killed more than 3,500 people and was felt as far away as Bangkok, where a skyscraper under construction near the popular Chatuchak Weekend Market collapsed.
Japanese authorities have also issued a new warning over the possibility of a megaquake off the country’s Pacific coast. The Cabinet Office said there was an 80% chance of a quake with a magnitude of 8 or higher hitting within the next 30 years, which could kill as many as 300,000 people in the worst-case scenario.
In January, Taiwan was rocked by a 6.4-magnitude quake that was felt by some residents in Hong Kong.
Travel Industry Council executive director Fanny Yeung Shuk-fun said on the same radio show that the number of tour groups travelling by air had dipped slightly and they would mostly choose North Asian destinations and short trips.
Hong Kong tour groups were also turning to mainland Chinese cities connected via the high-speed rail, Yeung said, noting they could reach more than 100 destinations from West Kowloon station without switching trains.
“We estimate that this Easter, about half or slightly more than half of the groups will use the high-speed rail,” she said, pointing to popular cities outside Guangdong province, such as Zhangjiajie, Changsha and Wuhan.
“We have also observed this Easter a trend of some travel agencies reserving an entire high-speed rail train, accommodating more than 600 passengers with both first-class and second-class seats. These travel groups with a dedicated train have sold out very quickly.”
About 2.7 million Hong Kongers visited Japan last year, making the city the fifth-largest source of travellers to the country. Other top sources were South Korea, the mainland, Taiwan and the United States.
