Speaking to reporters before departing for Wuhan, capital of the central Hubei province, Leung said mainland visitors under all schemes, including multiple-visit, individual visit and group travel, had dropped during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday.

While the decline may be related to the Hong Kong dollar exchange rate and external economic conditions, the recent protests against parallel traders is also a crucial factor, Leung said.

The illegal demonstrations against this practice are detrimental to Hong Kong's reputation as a tourist destination, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will combat those activities, he said.

Noting tourism is important to Hong Kong, Leung said many low- income workers are engaged in the industry, and the SAR government will take remedial efforts to boost Hong Kong's image and launch promotions later this month to attract more visitors.