The group members - mostly representatives from the mainland retail industry - entered the SAR via the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai port yesterday morning, before boarding 50 tour buses. They then had poon choi - or "basin cuisine" - at a farm in Sha Tau Kok, before they attended a meeting and musical performance at the AsiaWorld-Expo.

A 1,000-member mainland tour group visited Hong Kong in February, shortly after the borders reopened, but the visitors were unable to stay overnight as the city's hospitality sector had yet to recover.

"The industry now has enough staff to receive the 2,000 tourists," said Sara Leung Fong-yuen, the Hong Kong Tourism Industry Employees General Union chairwoman.

The group will visit Wong Tai Sin Temple and the Avenue of Stars today, followed by a trip to Macau.

Participants of these corporate incentive tours often have higher purchasing power compared to low-cost tours priced at 500 yuan (HK$562.94) or below.

One tourist, Zhong, planned to spend HK$100,000 on a high-end watch, while another visitor, Wang, estimated to spend HK$100,000 on luxuries such as jewelry and gold.

"More incentive tours will visit Hong Kong soon," said Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, adding that the industry still lacks some 1,000 drivers to pick up tourists.

"Authorities should set up subsidies for travel industry workers who left during the pandemic so they can return to the sector," Leung said.

Meanwhile, over 2,890,000 tourists visited the city in April - an 18 percent increase from March - according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

And over 7.3 million tourists have entered the SAR between January to April, with mainland visitors accounting for approximately 77.5 percent.