Some 2,000 mainland tour groups will visit Hong Kong during the Spring Festival holiday.

The figure does not include individual visitors, the Beijing Morning Post reported, quoting sources with the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong.

The Beijing customs office said it had received almost 20,000 applications for Hong Kong visits last month. The figure is up 86 percent from last National Day holiday between Oct.1 and Oct.7.

"We had to work overtime as we have to handle 800-1,000 applications every day," said the office.

Hong Kong's tourist and retail industries are excited at the news.

Hong Kong's hotel occupancy rate was expected to reach 75 percent Jan. 22, the first day of the Spring Festival. The figure would rise to 85 percent Jan. 23, Jan. 24 and Jan. 25. Many three-star hotels are expecting an occupancy rate of 90 percent during the Spring Festival holiday, said the Travel Industry Council.

Meanwhile, a survey by ACNielsen shows that shopping in Hong Kong is the No. 1 choice for residents of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The results of the survey of more than 3,000 consumers, was released Sunday. It shows that 68 percent of the Guangzhou residents interviewed plan to shop in Hong Kong in 2004, while 49 percent of the Shanghai respondents, and 33 percent of Beijing residents interviewed, also plan Hong Kong shopping tours.

The respondents plan to spend an average of 8,000 yuan (US$975) in Hong Kong.

Clothing is high on the list for most potential visitors, the survey shows. Cosmetics are the second choice for youngsters and women, while jewelry and hi-fis are preferred by older consumers.

From Jan.18, holders of bank cards issued by 29 banking institutions on the Chinese mainland can spend without a daily limit on shopping, dining and accommodation through point-of-sale (POS) machines in Hong Kong.

(Shenzhen Daily January 20, 2004)