Asian flight bookings to Hong Kong fell 5.4%

Recent protests deterred would-be visitors from other Asian markets.

Flight bookings to Hong Kong from other Asian countries fell by 5.4% from June to July 2019 compared to the same period last year, according to research by global travel intelligence company ForwardKeys.

Data generated from June 16 to 29 show flight bookings decreased 9%, whilst bookings declined 2.2% from June 30 to July 1.

According to the report, the sharp set-back in bookings during these two periods reversed a positive trend in which bookings for the first six and a half months of 2019 were up 6.6% compared to the same period last year.

Also read: HKIA passengers up 2.5% to 74.7 million in 2018

The data excluded travellers from China and Taiwan as the fall of bookings from these two countries may be explained by the Dragon Boat Festival, which fell 11 days earlier than it did in 2018, according to ForwardKeys.