Their worries also stemmed from Labour Day landing on a Thursday this year, which encouraged residents to secure a five-day break for travelling outside the city by taking Friday off to combine with Buddha’s Birthday on Monday, a public holiday also.
Chung Pok-man, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Department Stores and Commercial Staff General Union, said on Thursday that the sector needed to adopt a more prudent outlook for the golden week break, while he hoped business performance would be maintained at the same level as the previous year.
“This year’s Easter business was relatively quiet because it’s not a mainland holiday, resulting in fewer tourists. Additionally, many Hong Kong residents chose to travel abroad during the break, negatively impacting the retail market,” Chung said.
He added that business for retail operators dropped by at least 5 per cent over the holiday compared with the previous year.
