The Christmas and New Year holidays brought more business to Hong Kong's tourism and retail sectors, thanks to the increasing number of visitors from the mainland in the last week of the year.

Altogether, 61,682 mainlanders entered Hong Kong on December 23; 5,918 of them through the airport, and 38,897 and 16,867 through the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau borders in Shenzhen.

Though fewer mainlanders entered the city during the Christmas holidays, their numbers rose on December 31 when 5,158 landed at the airport, 25,184 and 10,648 crossed the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau borders.

The rising number of tourists from the mainland came as another boost for retail business.

Promotion and Advertising Manager for Times Square Vernon Ma said yesterday that the average customer flow during the holidays was 170,000 a day. "It's a 15 percent increase from last year's figures," Ma said.

"We received plenty of enquiries and positive response from mainland tourists, who appeared to be very eager shoppers."

The enthusiasm was also palpable at the 41st Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo in Victoria Park in the busy shopping district of Causeway Bay. The expo was a major attraction for shoppers.

Many other customers in Delon Stereo and Electronics corroborated Zou.The shop is in Hong Kong's prime shopping and entertainment district of Tsim Sha Tsui. A 37-year-old from Beijing, surnamed Wu, said he was satisfied with the service.

But some visitors were not too happy with the services. Ms Guo, a Guangzhou university student, said many of her friends preferred shopping in Macao because they felt the quality of Hong Kong retailers' services had deteriorated after the city's economic recovery.

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