The Hong Kong Tourism Board said on Friday that more than 5.19 million overseas tourists traveled to the SAR last month, a decrease of 4.8 percent compared with a year ago. Of the total visitor arrivals, more than 4.16 million came from the Chinese mainland, falling 5.5 percent or 242,000 from the previous year.

Tourist arrivals from South Korea registered the biggest decline, plunging 20.8 percent from a year ago. This was followed by Russia (a drop 16.5 percent) and Taiwan (a decline of 11.8 percent).

However, visitors from Macao rose 32.6 percent last month, followed by those from the Philippines (11.7 percent).

HK tourist arrivals fall 4.8% as social unrest lingers

Hong Kong’s total tourist arrivals dipped nearly 5 percent in July whereas mainland visitor numbers decreased more than 242,000 in the same period as overseas travelers avoid the city due to protracted social unrest.