A catering representative said on Thursday that reservations at Chinese restaurants over Lunar New Year were up ten percent from last year.

Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management chairman, Leung Chun-wah, said despite a number of Hong Kong residents travelling during the holidays, those who stayed in the city were willing to spend.

"The Lunar New Year is the happiest festival for Chinese people. The number of people flying out was not too many, somewhere between 300,000 to 400,000 people. People still have to eat their meals, and they want to be happy while doing so. So, our business and reservation numbers both saw a ten percent increase," he said on an RTHK programme.

A total of 357,927 Hong Kong residents departed the city on Wednesday, according to Immigration Department figures.

However, Leung said restaurants generally saw just one round of customers early in the evening, as people's eating habits had changed during the Covid pandemic.

"People eat early and leave early. We don't really see a second round of customers - those who go to restaurants at 8:30 pm for dinner," he said.

Leung also noted that customers were spending less than before the pandemic.

This year, the average spending per person was between HK$350 to HK$400 - similar to last year.

He added that the resumption of the multi-entry visa for Shenzhen residents only benefited restaurants in tourist spots, which recorded an around 20 percent increase in business.