Travel trade: Tourist arrivals in March exceeded 2.16 million, up 2.9% on the same month last year.

Tourist arrivals in March exceeded 2.16 million, up 2.9% on the same month last year, the Tourism Board says. The total number of arrivals from January to March rose 6.3% to more than 6.61 million.

More than 1.29 million arrivals (59.9%) stayed in the city for at least one night in March, with the reminder, 867,000 or 40.1%, classified as same-day in-town visitors.

Arrivals from key regional source markets all registered increases, except the Mainland which fell 3.5% to 1,086,645 and Taiwan which dropped 0.6% to 167,096.

Visitors from South & Southeast Asia rose 8.3% to 240,444; North Asia (189,943, up 7.5%); Europe, Africa & the Middle East (208,594, up 21.8%); the Americas (161,509, up 8.5%); and, Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific (61,402, up 19.4%).

Of the 1,086,645 Mainland visitors, 50.9% or 553,000 travelled under the Individual Visit Scheme, up 7.3% on the same month last year.