According to the Hong Kong tourism administration, a total of 2,500 mainland touring parties paid visits to Hong Kong in the past five days and over 300,000 mainland tourists are expected to visit Hong Kong during the lunar New Year period.

The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong estimated that Chinese mainland tourists' consuming in Hong Kong may bring a total of 3 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$380 million) of tourism revenue during the lunar New Year period.

The sales volume of quite a number of gold and jewelry shops in the downtown areas doubled in the past five days thanks mainly to the increasing number of mainland tourists.

Cosmetic shops as Sasa Cosmetics in Causeway Bay has a much better business and many mainland tourists bought cosmetic products as much as 2,000 to 3,000 Hong Kong dollars (US$256 to 385) respectively.

Most of the Chinese mainland tourists bought in Hong Kong diamond rings, watches, small electric appliances, apart from famous brand clothes and cosmetic products.

To prepare for the coming of more mainland visitors at the weekend, commercial centers and shops arranged "final sales" in the last days of the winter sales season.

So far, the Travel Industry Council and the committee for protecting consumers' rights have not received any reports.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2003)