Octopus Reports HK$100 Million in Spending by Mainland Visitors Over National Day Golden Week

Rise in Spending by Mainland Visitors

During the National Day golden week break, Octopus logged HK$100 million (US$12.9 million) from tourists, showing a remarkable 30% increase from last year.

Growth of Mobile Users

The number of active users for “tourist mobile Octopus” has tripled, while overall spending has soared fourfold year-on-year. Rita Li, Octopus’ sales and marketing director, anticipates continued growth in transactions and mobile users for upcoming golden week breaks in May and October.

Spending Patterns

• 40% of total spending was reported at food and beverage establishments.
• Tourists are increasingly opting for independent eateries rather than large restaurant chains.
• There was a 50% increase in the use of the Octopus UnionPay QR code during the holiday.

Increased Mobility and Convenience

Residents of Hong Kong made nearly 1.8 million trips out of the city, exceeding 1.2 million arrivals from mainland China. The Octopus payment service provides significant convenience and speed, giving it a competitive edge over QR code-based payment methods. Moreover, over 60,000 Octopus-China T-Union cards were utilized with accumulated spending of HK$40 million, highlighting the system's popularity in mainland cities like Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Beijing.

Following the recent 8.28 JoyYou Fest, the Octopus system recorded over HK$800 million in spending from nearly two million users. The initiative further engages Hong Kong residents with discounts at various payment points.