Club Med chairman to resign

AFP  -  The head of French leisure group Club Med announced his surprise resignation Monday as the company reported another substantial loss in a global context of crisis for the tourism industry.

Chairman Philippe Bourguignon, 54, hired in 1997 to rescue the enterprise, said he would later in the day recommend to the Club Med supervisory board that he be replaced by the group's 46-year-old general director, Henri Giscard d'Estaing, son of former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

Club Med also announced Monday that it had sustained a net loss in its 2001-2002 fiscal year, which ended October 31, of 62 million euros (63.3 million dollars) after a 72-million-euro shortfall in the previous fiscal period.

Analyst Arnault Frerault of SG Securities said Bourguignon's resignation was not likely to have been linked to the group's financial results, which had been expected and were "not bad" when compared with forecasts.

Instead, he added, Bourguignon was at odds with the Agnelli family of Italy, the group's principal shareholder.

Frerault said he nonetheless expected Giscard d'Estaing to make few policy changes at Club Med. "If you wanted to change direction you would choose someone else," he commented.

A source close to the group said Bourguignon, who had sought to implement reform and to introduce new products, had lately displayed "a certain lassitude."

Seen as a savior of French theme park EuroDisney, Bourguignon left the Magic Kingdom in 1997 after four years to undertake a similar mission at Club Med.

Determined to boost productivity he recruited widely from outside the company, hiring staff from major French retailers.

But his approach has found little favor among investors, the group's share price having lost more than 46 percent this year.

Club Med shares on Monday nonetheles gained ground, advancing 6.71 percent to finish at 22.25 euros in an overall Paris market up 3.19 percent.

Following the attacks in the United States on September 11 last year, Club Med cut jobs, closed down several of its holiday villages and took aim at other costs as it grappled with a global slowdown in the tourism industry.

The US attacks, carried out by Islamic militants aboard hijacked airliners, traumatized the travelling public and cut deeply into tourism receipts.

Bourguignon in January spoke of the "complexity and gravity of the crisis" that struck the tourism industry after September 11. Union leaders, however, cited what they said had been "bad management" from 1997 to 2000."

The group also Monday announced an operating loss of three million euros for the 2001-2002 fiscal year, compared with an operating profit of 50 million euros in 2000-2001.

Sales came to 1.744 billion euros, down from 1.985 billion in 2000-2001.

Source:  Agence France Presse

TIA Forecasts Flat Winter Travel Season

 According to the latest seasonal forecast from the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), travel by Americans will remain relatively flat this winter (December, January, February). Americans are expected to take more than 139 million pleasure person-trips during the winter 2002–2003 season, up just one-half percent from last winter. The slower travel growth this year follows the record winter travel season last year. Thus, it will still be one of the stronger winter travel seasons in recent years. A person-trip is one person traveling 50 miles or more from home, one way.

According to TIA’s Winter 2002–2003 Travelometer, 71 percent of travelers intend to travel for pleasure or personal reasons while 39 percent plan to travel for business or conventions this winter.

“With travel and tourism’s recovery on uneven ground during the past year, the relative strength of this winter travel forecast is good news,” said William S. Norman, president and CEO of the Travel Industry Association of America. “But we have a way to go before the industry is fully recovered. We have a number of initiatives in place for 2003 aimed at consumers at home and in our key international markets that will help restore the vitality of the travel and tourism industry.”

Family members continue to be the most popular travel companions. Among those planning a winter pleasure trip, 52 percent will take along their spouse and 28 percent will take children with them. Eleven percent will travel with friends, 11 percent will travel with other family members, 5 percent will travel with their parents and 5 percent will travel as part of a group. Seventeen percent will travel alone and one percent will travel with grandparents.

NOTE: The results of TIA’s Winter 2002-2003 Travelometer are based on a representative sample survey of 1,000 travelers conducted in October 2002, and on TIA’s seasonal travel forecasting model developed in partnership with DRI/McGraw-Hill.

TIA is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $545 billion travel industry. TIA's mission is to represent the whole of the U.S. travel industry to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States.

Parkroyal: Ready to roll in Asia

TravelWeeklyEast.com  -  The Parkroyal brand is ready to roll out in Asia after settling behind-the-scenes wrangling. Said Scott Butcher, Park Pacific Hotels and Resorts (PPHR) senior vice president for hotel operations,

“Parkroyal has been quiet because of changes in Australia. We’ve got to come out and say, ‘the Parkroyal is alive and well here’. We will be approaching people, building relationships with the trade.”

With its purchase of Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation, Six Continents acquired the Parkroyal properties in Australia and New Zealand. Six Continents still has six regional properties under the Parkroyal brand in the Pacific region, but it has been engaged in rebranding many of its signature properties as Crowne Plazas – including the Parkroyal Darling Harbour and Parkroyal Parramatta on September 30 this year.

In Asia, Hotel Plaza Limited (HPL) recently took full ownership of the joint venture that owned and manages the Parkroyal hotels in Malaysia through its subsidiary, PPHR.

Effective July 8, PPHR now owns the Parkroyal brand for the whole of the Asia region (outside India). It plans to expand from its current four hotels in Singapore and Malaysia to key corporate locations throughout Asia.

PPHR however must wait until 2010 before it can physically use the brand in hotels within Australia and New Zealand. It would, however, maintain a sales structure in those countries, said Butcher. Butcher said Parkroyal’s expansion would be managed through a carefully planned strategy of acquisition and management contracts.

While carrying the Plaza Parkroyal name for its hotels in Singapore, the flagship 326-room Grand Plaza Parkroyal in Coleman Street, and the Plaza Parkroyal in Beach Road, Butcher said the Parkroyal brand was now the key selling point.

“Foremost as part of our strategy is to roll out Parkroyal as our brand.

“We will look for hotel locations able to support that strategy – one would be Bangkok, as well as Jakarta – places with synergies for our hotels.”

PPHR was currently looking at one location in mainland China, he confirmed.

The group would spend “a reasonable amount of money for the best impact” in expanding. Two Malaysian properties already carry the Parkroyal name – the Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur and the Parkroyal Penang.

A total of S$25 million is being spent on the Kuala Lumpur property for a major refit, while major renovation will be done in Penang, costing in the vicinity of S$15 million.

With emphasis on “friendly yet personal service levels”, and seeking a high return guest ratio, Parkroyal would seek to have a regional flavour relevant to each location, with an emphasis on recreational facilities as a selling point, Butcher said.

Banyan Tree Boss: Don't drop prices

Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts’ joint managing director, Edwin Yeow, has urged hoteliers in markets affected by the current crisis not to drop prices drastically.

Responding to TravelWeekly’s question on what marketers should be doing these next two months to ride out the crisis, Yeow said, “The first thing they shouldn’t do is drop prices drastically and undersell the value of their products. There is no necessity to do that.

“Instead what we should do is work with the tourist boards, come together as a group, and create a lot of visits to the region for media and the travel trade.

“Let’s get them to create for us a realistic perspective of safety and security issues on the ground.”

Yeow said business at his group was holding strong. At World Travel Market, it was committing to contracts with increases of 10-12 percent.

Yeow said brand premium was helping Banyan Tree to secure rate increases despite challenging times.

He said the group had great faith in Thailand as a “global destination with natural hospitality attributes. “Even though longhaul may decline, the regional market will support it.”

Banyan Tree will however keep a close eye on its properties in Indonesia and the Indian Ocean in the months ahead in light of current political developments.

Yeow said that while Bintan was managing to sustain business in the aftermath of Bali, thanks to strong support from the Singapore outbound market, longhaul business had dropped.

His second spot of concern was its hotels in the Maldives and Seychelles given the spectre of war on Iraq. “Most of the logistics is happening in the Indian Ocean,” said Yeow. “We will have to be mindful of the situation there.” 

Top Lodging Industry Leaders To Speak At ALIS 2003

Washington, December 11, 2002 - Nearly 200 of today's most dynamic lodging industry executives will be speakers and moderators during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), Jan. 27-29, 2003, at The Century Plaza Hotel & Spa and the St. Regis Los Angeles Hotel and Spa in Los Angeles, Calif. Co-hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Burba Hotel Network (BHN), the three day event addresses the investment community's unique needs and concerns.

Attendees will hear pertinent and helpful financial information from lodging industry luminaries during the conference's various educational seminars, including Stephen F. Bollenbach, president and CEO, Hilton Hotels Corporation; David C. House, group president, American Express Company; Larry Kellner, president, Continental Airlines, Inc.; J.W. Bill Marriott, chairman of the board and CEO, Marriott International, Inc.; Henry Silverman, president and CEO, Cendant Corporation; and many others.

ALIS is pleased to have such a top-rate group of speakers at the biggest investment- and financial-oriented event in the lodging industry in 2003. With uncertainty in the current economic and travel states, the need for ALIS has never been greater. We're confident that the attendees will learn from these preeminent leaders, who will share their words of wisdom, vision, and sound advice, said BHN President and Conference Chairman Jim Burba.

In addition, ALIS delegates will hear from keynote luncheon speaker USA Interactive Chairman and CEO Barry Diller. Under his leadership, USA Interactive has become increasingly involved in the travel and tourism industry through its ownership of companies such as Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and Interval International.

The ALIS conference registration rate is $1,375. To register via the Internet, visit the ALIS Web site at www.ALISconference.com. The Century Plaza Hotel & Spa and the St. Regis Los Angeles Hotel and Spa are extending special rates of $225 and $275 (single-occupancy), respectively, until January 5, 2003. For reservations, call the properties directly.

For general event information about ALIS, contact Kimberly Miles, CMP, AH&LA director of meetings and conventions, at (202) 289-3117 or kmiles@ahla.com.

AH&LA is a 92-year-old federation of state lodging associations throughout the United States with some 13,000 property members worldwide, representing more than 1.7 million guest rooms. AH&LA provides its members with assistance in operations, education, and communications, and lobbies on Capitol Hill to provide a business climate in which the industry can continue to prosper.

Discipline: The Most Dreaded Management Task

Do you regard discipline and punishment as one and the same? If so, that may explain your uneasiness at the thought of disciplining employees who exhibit substandard conduct or work quality – particularly those who fail despite their best efforts.

At some point, unfortunately, you will probably be faced with unacceptable on-the-job behavior or performance. Resist the urge to ignore these problems, as the long-term effects of doing so can be much more devastating than your short-term discomfort with confronting them.

Consider for a moment the fact that the word "discipline" is derived from the Latin word "disciple," which means "to teach." It already sounds less daunting, doesn't it? The reality is that discipline – when administered properly – is not as unpleasant as you might think.

“Progressive discipline” is a process for correcting problems in a positive, non-punitive way. Chances are, if your organization has a formal discipline policy in place, it is progressive in nature. That is, the longer the undesirable behavior persists, the harsher the consequences become – including possible termination.

Discipline that is administered in stages gives the employee ample opportunity to turn his or her performance around. It also helps maintain the morale of other staff members who may be watching the situation unfold: It is demotivating to see the poor performance or behavior of others ignored, yet comforting to know that it is dealt with in a fair manner.

While the stages of progressive discipline may vary slightly from one company to another, the most common ones are:

• Verbal reprimand (or "warning"),
• Written reprimand (or "warning"),
• Unpaid suspension, and
• Termination.

It is important that, at each step along the way, the troubled employee knows exactly:

• What is expected of him or her;
• How his or her actual performance falls short of this standard;
• What effect this gap has on the operations of the department; and
• What the consequences of a failure to improve will be.

While progressive discipline is generally the most effective method of dealing with problematic workers, it must be practiced within a larger framework. To increase the likelihood of positively influencing employee performance and protecting against legal action, keep Douglas McGregor’s “hot stove rule” in mind:

• Foreseeable
  Just as the flames or red coils provide warning that you will be burned by touching the stove, your employees should know in advance that poor conduct or performance will result in specific, pre-determined consequences.
• Immediate
  When you touch a hot stove, you know instantaneously that you have done something wrong. Similarly, an employee should be quickly told if he or she is failing to meet expectations.
• Impersonal
  The fact that you are burned is a function of the stove, not who you are. Likewise, the discipline applied in a particular situation should reflect the offense, not the person who committed it.
• Consistent
  Regardless of who touches a hot stove, the result will be the same each and every time. This is also true of discipline; it should not be applied arbitrarily, nor should it differ, for the same offense, from one person to the next.

Adherence to your organization’s written disciplinary policy (or, in the absence of one, the guidelines presented in this article) will facilitate the smooth operation of your workgroup, help employees correct problems with no “hard feelings,” and strengthen your organization's defense against lawsuits.

Copyright © 2001-2002 Christina Morfeld and Affinity Business Communications, LLC. Originally published by Suite101.com. All rights reserved.

About the Author:

Christina Morfeld is president of Affinity Business Communications, a provider of high-quality instructional design, technical writing, and content development solutions. Whether writing to instruct, inform, or persuade, our work is reader-focused, benefits-oriented, and results-driven.

Contact us at 203-445-9964 or info@affinitybizcomm.com , or visit our website at http://www.affinitybizcomm.com/ to learn how we can increase your firm's sales and effectiveness!

Corinthia expands in Hungary and Libya

Caterer.com  -  Corinthia Hotels of Malta continues its programme of rapid expansion with the opening of its second hotel in Hungary and its first in Libya.

The company which, five years ago, had just four hotels will end this year with 22 four- and five-star properties, most of them company-owned, in 10 countries in Europe and Africa.

The five-star Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal in Budapest, Hungary, has opened after a two-year reconstruction costing £44.8m. The French Renaissance-style building, built in 1896 and bought by Corinthia in 1997, had been empty for the previous 10 years. During its chequered history, it has served as a cinema, an office and even a Second World War Gestapo headquarters, as well as a hotel.

It now boasts 415 bedrooms, boutique and designer shops, a spa, a conference and exhibition centre to accommodate 1,200 delegates, and a Grand Ballroom.

The five-star Corinthia Tripoli Towers hotel in Libya is expected to open before the end of the year. The £64m new-build offers 299 bedrooms, a conference and banqueting centre for as many as 550 people, a spa and a shopping gallery.

The company, founded in 1962 by the Pisani family, is also eyeing properties in emerging markets such as Croatia and China.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 12 - 18 December 2002

Doha to face shortage of hotel rooms during Asiad

The Peninsula - DOHA: Some 20,000 foreign spectators are expected to visit Doha during the 2006 Asian Games, whereas currently only 4,000 hotel rooms are available in the city.

Traffic management during the sporting event, which is likely to last about two weeks, and transportation facilities for these visitors will be a major challenge as Qatar neither has a rail network nor a public road transport system and only taxis to rely on.

A major British firm with wide experience in managing traffic during large sporting events suggested at a seminar here yesterday that its vast exposure in the field could come in handy for the organisers of the 2006 Doha Asiad.

The number of spectators is besides the 12,500 players and officials who are likely to descend here to take part in the games. They will, however, be provided accommodation by the organisers, said Nigel Lightbody, director of London-based WSP International.

The seminar titled “Total Sport, UK Style” was organised by the British Consultants and Construction Bureau (Bccb), a London-based association of 300 building companies and consultancy firms, and Trade Partners, the exporting arm of the British government.

The symposium was held to highlight the rich experience British companies have in sports infrastructure design and development, sports and event management, sports medicine and security at sporting facilities.

Most of the 13 representatives from some 10 major UK companies that are here to take part in the QSI-2002 exposition spoke at the seminar. Dr Malcolm Day, a Bccb director, was also present.

Those who spoke included Giles Dixon and Roger Button from Shadbolt & Co, solicitors; Keith Ashton and Paul Young from S & P, architects and interior designers; Gordon Turley and John Robinson from Mott MacDonald, the globally renowned consultancy firm.

Mark Roe, partner, Masons, a London-based international law firm, was moderator during the second half of the symposium. Others who addressed the seminar were Barry Lowe, from HOK (Sport, Venue, Event), and David Raines, from Betterhealth Global Limited.

Economic woes in Europe hit QMH

Caterer.com  -  Hotel company Queens Moat Houses (QMH) today said it has yet to see any evidence of a sustained recovery in the hotel industry.

In an update for the first 11 months of the year ending 29 December, QMH said that although there had been some early signs of strengthening demand in the UK, trading in Continental Europe had been more difficult.

Occupancy at the group’s 42 UK hotels fell by 1.2 percentage points to 74.3% in the first 47 weeks of the year, compared with the same period in 2001. Room rate fell by 3.9% to £57.56, and revenue per available room (revpar) dipped by 2.4% to £42.74.

In Germany, where QMH said trading had been particularly difficult, occupancy fell by 2.7 percentage points to 61.6% and average room rate decreased by 4.2% to €78.69 (£50.53).

Revpar at QMH’s 24 German hotels fell by 8.2% to €48.50 (£31.15). QMH said the declines reflected a lack of confidence in the German economy.

The group’s 23 hotels in the Netherlands performed a little better. Occupancy dipped by just one percentage point to 63%, while average room rate increased by 2.3% to €102.05 (£65.54) and revpar increased by 0.7% to €64.24 (£41.25).

But QMH said, recent trading at its Netherlands hotels had been adversely affected by a slowdown in conference and meetings business.

QMH said it remained cautious about the future and that it expected the economic uncertainty affecting its businesses this year to continue into 2003.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper

Business travelers: 5 things on your to-do list

bCentral  -  Boy Scouts are taught to be prepared. What about business travelers? They must learn about safety and survival on their own — today, more so than ever.

But many haven't. About 70% of travelers are not insured for medical or safety problems that may stop a trip, according to industry estimates. And only a fraction of road warriors subscribe to services that keep them posted on security developments, or carry a device that improves their safety on the road.

As a Boy Scout, I remember learning how to tie knots, make campfires and pitch a tent. What's the equivalent skill set for the jet set?

Here are five things you should do to prepare for your next business trip.

Go shopping. Don't leave home without taking a few simple items with you that can increase your security on the road. These include (but aren't limited to) a key chain that doubles as an audible alarm, a portable lock for a hotel door and a hood that protects you from inhaling smoke and other biohazards. I'm thinking of the EXITAIR-Bio Emergency Breathing Hood, which filters toxic fumes in event of fire or biological emergency and protects your face, hair and eyes. At $44.95, it isn't cheap, and it can be used only once. But if you're ever in a dangerous situation, it could save your life.

A good place to buy these items is The Counter Spy Shops' Web page, which offers everything from bulletproof vests to body-heat detection devices. Security expert Terry Riley of Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Applied Psychology says, however, that while the gadgets can prevent you from becoming a victim while you're traveling, he warns against relying on them too much. "If you do, you can get a false sense of security," he says. "There's no substitute for researching your destination."

Hire someone to keep you posted. Before security consulting became a big business, your travel agent doubled as your safety adviser. He or she would watch your back while you were away, alerting you to hotspots when wars or natural disasters struck. A good agent will still do that, to a certain extent. But now there are companies such as iJET Travel Intelligence that use techniques developed by government intelligence agencies to monitor your itinerary for you. (Disclaimer: I have been an unpaid consultant to iJET in the past.) Another service, IntelliGuide, offers daily security updates and destination-related briefings that feature advice on how to avoid trouble while you're traveling. Although I like the products that are available to travelers, I also think it's important to do your own homework before you leave. Let the experts help you, but call ahead and read the local papers online before you go.

Buy trip cancellation insurance. A travel cancellation policy, which typically costs from 4.5% to 7% of the price of a trip, helps you get your money back if you have to call off your trip. Most policies cover you up to $50,000 per person. The number of travelers buying trip insurance has doubled since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It remains high today in part because of sustained terrorism fears and in part because of new airline rules that limit changes made to nonrefundable tickets. The new policies, dubbed "use it or lose it," have left many business travelers feeling as if their trips are more at risk than ever. Alicia Nieva-Woodgate, a sportswriter based in San Francisco, bought a $199 policy that covers a cancellation for an upcoming trip to Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Thailand and Burma. Among other things, it covers the cost of returning to the United States if there's a terrorist attack. "I just want to be prepared for the worst," she says.

Get health coverage. If you're traveling overseas and something happens to you, will your health-insurance policy cover your medical bills and an evacuation, if needed? Maybe — and maybe not. Medical insurance policies, which cost anywhere from $25 for a few days of coverage to more than $2,000 for an annual policy, help pay your medical bills that aren't included in your regular medical insurance. The amount of coverage starts at about $50,000 for short trips, up to $1 million for a year. One of the best-known policies is sold by MEDJET Assistance, an annual membership plan that offers prepaid air ambulance transportation, including domestic U.S. hospital-to-hospital air ambulance transportation services and worldwide evacuation. But shop for your medical policy carefully. Some insurance companies are slow to pay, as Sherry Mattson, a computer programmer in Belvidere, Ill., discovered when she tried to make a medical-related claim on behalf of her husband. "In order to process the claim, they wanted my husband's entire medical history," she recalls.

Get synched. Common sense? Come on. I'm constantly forgetting to synch my PDA and PC before I hit the road, and you probably are too. But there's more to prepping for a trip than making sure the cell phone or PDA you're traveling with is updated with the latest version of your schedule and contacts. Make sure your data is properly backed up, especially if you're working from a home office. You never know what will happen while you're gone. I've been taking a look at NTI Backup NOW!, a program that allows you to back up your data to almost any medium. I'll be the first to admit that this application isn't cheap, but when you're facing the loss of all of your data, what's $79.95?

Here's something else to ponder: At a time when sensitive computer hardware is being run through airport X-ray machines, dropped and mishandled more often, hitting the "delete" button is frequently the first choice for troubleshooting. Complete disk re-formattings are up between 5% and 10% from a year ago, says Rebecca Patrascu, a technician for the Novato, Calif., data-recovery company DriveSavers. "It's unfortunate," she says, "because very frequently there are less radical alternatives, like data recovery. Or just updating the software drivers."

I'm not just telling you how it ought to be. I've really started taking these precautions since 9/11. I'm vigilant about making sure my data is backed up to a portable hard drive and synched to my laptop. I've updated my health-insurance coverage and, on longer trips, I don't hesitate to carry cancellation insurance. I also research my destinations carefully before leaving — and yes, I also carry a few safety devices.

I considered many of these measures optional for travel. But in this world of sniper attacks, shoe bombs and bio-terrorism, you can't be too safe. Or too prepared.

About the Author:

Christopher Elliott is the editor of Elliott's E-mail, a free weekly newsletter for travelers. Visit his Web site.  http://www.elliott.org/

Six Continents relaunches enhanced loyalty programme 

TTG Asia  -  Six Continents Hotels has relaunched its Priority Club Rewards programme after polling 1,200 consumers in five Asia-Pacific markets, and members will earn double points for their second stay at any Inter-continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express or Staybridge Suites hotel worldwide from January 13 to March 31 next year.

Six Continents Asia-Pacific relationship marketing director, Ms Julia Wong, said: “Loyalty programme memberships drive 40 per cent incremental number of nights and revenue, generate 20 million room nights globally on an annual basis and 500,000 nights in Asia Pacific, which equates to US$1.6 billion in revenue to our hotels. This is why we have commissioned the consumer study to gain greater insight into the specific loyalty trends and preferences in Asia.”

The improved Priority Club Rewards programme has seven standard categories for award night redemption and instant on-line redemption. Members can share their points with family and friends through features such as Personal Shopper, Points for Gifts and Points Transfer to airline miles. Other key upgrades are “no point expiration” and “no blackout dates”, separate priority check-in areas, extended check out allowances and guaranteed room availability and upgrades for members.

To participate in the Double Points or Miles promotion, members should register their Priority Club Rewards member number in advance at www.priorityclub.com/double or Tel: Australia (1800) 121 766, Japan (0120) 566 955, Asia Pacific: (65) 6245 2716.

Source:  TTG Asia

Mainlanders top Hong Kong's tourism market
 
(Xinhua) --Hong Kong has seen a surge in the number of mainland tourists in the past five years as the mainland became its biggest tourism market, said a Hong Kong official attending the Jiangsu Hong Kong Week.

Hong Kong Tourism Board statistics show that in 2001, the region received a record 13.7 million tourists, of whom more than one third came from the mainland.

Mainland tourists' average spending of 5,169 HK dollars (660 US dollars) also topped the tourist statistics, Clara Chong, executive director of the board, said in the capital of the eastern Jiangsu province.

Chong said she hoped people in Jiangsu would get to know Hong Kong better during this week-long event.

She said her board would further cooperate with Jiangsu whose citizens accounted for one tenth of all mainland tourists to Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong is the third largest tourist market for Jiangsu which received 293,000 tourist arrivals from Hong Kong.

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