Hong Kong welcomed a surge of mainland visitors on Thursday — the first day of the five-day Labor Day break — with arriving passengers numbering 221,758, a 22.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the Immigration Department.
This marks the highest single-day influx of mainland tourists since Hong Kong lifted its COVID-19 restrictions in early 2023, surpassing the previous record set on Oct 1 last year.
With approximately 158,000 departing mainland passengers recorded on the same day, authorities estimated that over 63,000 visitors stayed overnight — a modest increase compared with the number on May 1, 2024.
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The city’s sole high-speed railway terminal, West Kowloon Station, emerged as the busiest entry point, processing nearly a quarter of the total inbound passengers, or 54,770, followed by the Lok Ma Chau, Lo Wu, and Shenzhen Bay checkpoints.
Tourist enthusiasm showed no signs of waning on the holiday’s second day, with crowds continuing to stream into the city via high-speed rail and land checkpoints.
Inside the arrival hall of West Kowloon Station, uniformed staff were stationed to assist Mandarin-speaking visitors — guiding them on escalator safety and helping them purchase Octopus cards from vending machines. The rechargeable Octopus, essential for cashless travel on Hong Kong’s public transport, is also widely accepted at local retail stores, restaurants, and even government facilities.
Nearby, long queues formed at a travel agency selling local SIM cards and a bank offering currency exchange services, highlighting the influx of holidaymakers eager to settle in quickly.
On Friday morning, Shenzhen’s Futian checkpoint experienced a high volume of tourists heading to Hong Kong.
Port authorities implemented crowd management measure, releasing passengers in batches into the border clearance building. The clearance time climbed from the usual 15 minutes to over 45 minutes at around 11 am.
Iconic districts from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai buzzed with mainland visitors, underscoring Hong Kong’s enduring appeal.
Among the arrivals at West Kowloon Station was Cai Guilian, a 44-year-old from Guangzhou, who was checking transport options to her hotel near Hong Kong Disneyland Resort while her daughter rested on a suitcase.
“This time, we plan to spend two days in Hong Kong, and Disneyland is our only destination,” she said, estimating the trip would cost around 4,000 yuan ($550).
Unlike the city’s urban bustle, Cai’s family prefers quieter retreats like Mui Wo, a serene town on Lantau Island they visit almost yearly.
Cai first came to Hong Kong in 2004 on a business trip, when mainland tourists were far fewer and spending was lower. “Now, with better transport and higher incomes, frequent trips — even monthly shopping — are common in my circle,” she noted.
Meanwhile, Chen Chuan, part of a group of seven parents from Changsha accompanying their high schoolers, hesitated when asked if she was a tourist.
“I’m not sure — our main goal is to tour Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), my son’s dream school,” she said, wheeling a suitcase near Tsim Sha Tsui. “But we’ll hike if time allows.”
The three-day trip had already cost Chen over 6,000 yuan in train tickets and hotels.
Despite niche travel trends, first-time visitors still flocked to landmarks like the Golden Bauhinia Square, commemorating Hong Kong’s 1997 return to the motherland, and the Avenue of Stars along Victoria Harbour.
There, Xiang Yuhang, a recent graduate working in Shenzhen, photographed her girlfriend pressing her hands into the handprint of actor Tony Leung Ka-fai.
“It’s our first time in Hong Kong,” said Xiang, who had explored Sham Shui Po’s markets earlier, guided by tips from lifestyle app Xiaohongshu.
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Like many young Shenzhen visitors, the couple opted against an overnight stay. “We haven’t decided our next stop—maybe just some city walking,” he said, referencing the trend in exploring streets like a local.
According to data from the Immigration Department, on Labor Day Thursday, the city logged over 546,000 inbound passenger trips, with mainland visitors accounting for over 40 percent.
The authorities said it has deployed additional manpower and opened more clearance counters and kiosks to cope with the heavy traffic during the festive period.
To prevent congestion and extended waiting times for immigration clearance, the Immigration Department advises all land boundary travelers to avoid peak periods. Passengers are encouraged to monitor traffic conditions and estimated waiting times at various control points through radio or TV broadcasts, the Immigration Department's website, and its mobile application.
Responding to an inquiry from China Daily, MTR Corp, Hong Kong's sole railway operator, said that crowd management measures have been implemented at Lok Ma Chau Station to ensure safe operations and maintain a smooth flow of passengers, given the high volume of travelers.
During the Labor Day holiday peak travel periods, the average number of daily flights into and out of Hong Kong International Airport is expected to be around 1,100, said the Airport Authority Hong Kong on Friday.
The authority said it is working closely with business partners, deploying more staff and leveraging technologies such as facial recognition to facilitate the processing of passengers at different airport checkpoints.
Contact the writer at lilei@chinadailyhk.com
