Property boom: Comparing the second quarter of 2005 with a year earlier, real estate business grew 41.2%.

Business receipts in value terms of all service industries rose in the second quarter over the same period last year, the Census & Statistics Department says.

Business receipts of the real estate and hotel industries grew 41.2% and 22.4%, fuelled by the buoyant property market and sustained growth in inbound tourism.

Increases were also seen in transport (+15.1%), insurance (+14.5%), banking (+11.6%), financing (except banking) (+11.1%), storage (+10.8%) and import and export trades (+10.3%).

Business receipts of the tourism, convention and exhibition services domain grew 11.9%, also attributable to tourism growth.

Business receipts of the computer and information services domain grew 27.2%.

Comparing the second quarter with the first, larger increases were seen in the insurance (+12.4%), import and export trades (+11.3%), transport (+7.9%), storage (+7.8%) and business services (+6.5%) industries.

But falls were recorded in the restaurants (-3.1%) and film entertainment (-2.2%) industries.