According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong welcomed more than nine million visitors in the first four months of 2009, however, the number of visitors fell by 9%.

In addition, the number of mainland Chinese visitors dropped by around 8% in the first ten days of May 2009, due mainly to the outbreak of swine flu.

The travel industry forecast the current swine flu outbreak to bear a stronger impact than the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2003.

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