Bars expect 50% jump in sales on final night of Hong Kong’s ‘Halloween Month’

Hong Kong’s inaugural “Halloween Month” has been a boon for businesses, with bar and restaurant operators in Lan Kwai Fong expecting sales on Saturday to rise by more than 50 per cent compared with last year.

With Halloween falling on a weekend this year, businesses were expecting a bumper turnout as the Tourism Board’s inaugural campaign for the celebrations wrapped up. Operators noted a surge in visitors from mainland Chinese cities in the Greater Bay Area.

“It’s been very well received by everybody,” said Anthea Cheung So-may, director of the Lan Kwai Fong Association, on Saturday. “People are really happy to see this celebration.”

The campaign, which began on October 17, involves street celebrations in Central, including Lan Kwai Fong, Kai Tak, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui East on three consecutive Saturdays, culminating on Halloween night.

The South China Morning Post observed that some eager revellers were already dressed up and drinking as early as noon in some parts of the city on Saturday.

Peel Street, which has become another popular Halloween party spot in Central, was bustling by 5pm, with costumed revellers dancing in the street as music played.

Cheung said that business in Lan Kwai Fong had increased by as much as 40 per cent over the last two weeks compared with previous years, with people dressing up in costumes far earlier than before.

Tens of thousands of people had snaked their way through the narrow streets of Central over the last few weekends, she said, noting one-way traffic flows were implemented as early as 7.30pm on Friday.

“For tonight, because it’s the final night of the Halloween celebrations, I expect the sales increase will be more than 50 per cent … year on year,” she said. “We are very confident about this number.”

Alongside an influx of international visitors, Cheung also said there has been a noticeable increase in revellers coming from the bay area, which she attributed to convenient border crossings.

The month-long campaign forms part of a tourism strategy outlined in February’s budget to place greater emphasis on festivals that are less prominent on the mainland, including Halloween.

Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said business had been “very brisk” over the course of the campaign.

“Young people living in the bay area are very engaged with Hong Kong’s Halloween celebrations, which has directly pushed up the number of visitors coming to Hong Kong,” he said.

Apart from Lan Kwai Fong, Central’s Statue Square Gardens is hosting illuminated installations alongside a large costume party on Chater Road.

Across Victoria Harbour in Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui East was hosting a grand Halloween gala, while parts of Mong Kok were transformed into a large-scale cosplay carnival.