HONG KONG, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong welcomed approximately 20 million visitor arrivals in the first five months of this year, with three quarters from the Chinese mainland, up 10 percent year on year, Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said on Sunday.

This influx is largely attributed to a variety of themed events in culture, sports, and entertainment, contributing to a steady increase in visitor arrivals, Chan said in a blog post.

He also projected that major events in the first half of the year will attract around 840,000 visitors, generating a total of 3.3 billion Hong Kong dollars (421 million U.S. dollars) in consumer spending and 1.8 billion Hong Kong dollars (229 million U.S. dollars) in added economic value.

The HKSAR government aims to synergize these events with Hong Kong's other attractions to enhance the overall visitor experience, Chan added.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, Chan expressed optimism that a series of cultural, sports, and tourism events, alongside new attractions and the unique characteristics of urban and rural areas, will continue to draw large numbers of tourists, contributing to ongoing growth in annual visitor figures. ■