"I arrived around 10 a.m., and I didn't expect it to be lined downstairs, it's so exaggerated." Mr. Xu, who was standing outside the exchange store, told Zhitong Finance, "I hope it can be replaced before noon."
The Federal Reserve finally announced a rate hike, Global Market performed according to the expected script, and Asian currencies fluctuated greatly. The yen plunged, and the US dollar approached the 118 mark on December 15.
Trump was elected as the next president of the United States. The market expects a strong US dollar period to return. The exchange rate of the Japanese yen against the Hong Kong dollar has depreciated by about 8% in the past month. The boot of the US rate hike finally landed, and the yen also fell to a new low in recent months. Japan is one of the popular places for Hong Kong people to travel. When the yen fell sharply, many Hong Kong people took advantage of the low level to exchange yen, and long queues were lined up in exchange stores.
, who is queuing up to exchange yen for the yen, said, "A family will go to Japan for Christmas in December, and exchange it for about 300,000 yen. I have always wanted to exchange it, but I read the newspaper and said that the United States announced a rate hike in the yen would be lower, so I came to exchange it today, but I didn't expect so many people." The "century-year exchange store" in which the Renlong appeared is one of the exchange stores that some Hong Kong people often go to because the exchange rate is more favorable than the bank.
This redemption store is on the 17th floor of the building and it opens at 9:30 in the morning. However, Mr. Xu, who arrived at around 10 o'clock, had already lined up outside the elevator in the building. There were about 15 people in front, waiting for the elevator to go up. The security guard of the building told reporters that even if he got there, he would continue to queue up, and there were about 30 to 40 people.
Mr. Xu said with a smile: "I'm already lucky (lucky). I don't have to line up outside the building. There are about a dozen people outside the building."
Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are all favorites for Hong Kong people to travel. In 2015, Japan National Tourism Administration data showed that the number of tourists visiting Japan in Hong Kong was 1.52 million, accounting for 7.7% of its overall foreign tourists, ranking fourth. The yen continues to be weak, and the Hong Kong tourism industry believes that it will stimulate Japanese tour groups and free travel in Hong Kong.
Assistant General Manager of Marketing and Business Development of Kangtai Travel Agency, Le Shaoqi, told Zhitong Finance that the yen has continued to fall against the Hong Kong dollar since the beginning of this year, which is beneficial to the business in Japan. Although Hong Kong's overall tourism industry performed average this year, its business performance in Japan and South Korea is good, especially in Japan. Since the beginning of this year, the Japanese business under Kangtai Travel Agency has increased by 10%.
He said that it is mid-December now, and travelers going to Japan for Christmas should basically implement it in November. After the US rate hike, if the yen decline continues or remains at a low level, it will further stimulate Hong Kong people's interest in traveling and consumption in Japan, and Japanese tour groups and free travel business may benefit from the Lunar New Year.
