Hong Kong  - The number of business people visiting Hong Kong for trade fairs and conventions dropped 9 per cent last year, according to figures released Tuesday.

Last year, the former British colony welcomed 5.31 million trade visitors compared to 5.86 million in 2007.

Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Industry Assocation chairman Stanley Chu said the figures were better than expected in the current climate and he was confident the industry would quickly recover.

The figures were collated from questionnaires sent to 55 trade show organisers that staged 110 exhibitions in Hong Kong last year.

Hong Kong is trying to establish itself as a major hub for business conventions and trade exhibitions. Last year, the government allocated 150 million Hong Kong dollars (19.3 million US dollars) to the Tourism Board to spend on promoting the industry over the next five years. (dpa)