Hong Kong’s catering sector and many retailers reported sluggish business over the Easter holiday, as official figures showed nearly 860,000 residents left the city and only 245,000 visitors arrived during the first three days of the long weekend.

Industry leaders on Monday said the outflow of people, equal to nearly 12 per cent of the city’s 7.3 million population, had left operators struggling with as much as a 20 per cent drop in business, while only certain types of shops benefited from the return of tourists.

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, estimated that daily revenue in the sector over the Easter weekend fell to between HK$230 million (US$29.3 million) and HK$250 million, down from HK$400 million during the peak season and up to HK$300 million on normal days in the past.