Visitor arrivals saw a 0.3% year-on-year rise in 2009, to 29.59 million, the Tourism Board says - ahead of the original forecast of a 1.6% shortfall.

The number of Mainland tourists grew 6.5%, to 17.69 million.

Encouraged by the year-end results, board chairman James Tien said despite the serious challenges in 2009 - including the global financial crisis and the human swine flu outbreak - the negative arrival trend reversed in August and positive growth was sustained until the fourth quarter.

"In particular, the implementation of arrangements that facilitate multiple individual visits by permanent Shenzhen residents, as well as greater desire for outbound travel among Mainland visitors, have fuelled robust growth of the Mainland arrivals, contributing to the 0.3% gain in overall arrivals in 2009," Mr Tien said.

Visitor arrivals from short-haul markets, excluding the Mainland, fell 8.6%, to 7.49 million last year. Long-haul market arrivals dipped 6.1%, to 4.41 million.