Hotels saw business receipts rise 21.9% while the transport sector saw a rise of 17.6% last year over 2004, the Census & Statistics Department says.

The increase in hotel business was attributable to the sustained growth in inbound tourism.

Other service industries that recorded notable increases in business receipts included real estate (+15.8%), insurance (+15.7%), financing (except banking) (+14.3%), banking (+10.9%), import and export trade (+10.5%) and storage (+10.3%).

Analysed by service domain, business receipts of the tourism, convention and exhibition services domain rose 13.5%, while that of the computer and information services domain increased 23.2%.

Comparing the fourth quarter of 2005 with a year earlier, business receipts of all service industries, except real estate, increased. More notable were observed in the hotels (+22.7%), insurance (+19.9%), financing (except banking) (+18.7%), transport (+14.9%), storage (+12.5%) and import and export trade (+10.4%) industries. 

Comparing the fourth quarter of 2005 with the third quarter of 2005, business receipts of most service industries increased. More notable increases were observed in the hotels (+40.6%), insurance (+15.8%), financing (except banking) (+9.8%) and banking (+8.4%) industries.