Hong Kong records 35% rise in mainland Chinese visitors for first 5 days of ‘golden week’

Hong Kong welcomed nearly 1 million mainland Chinese visitors in the first five days of the National Day “golden week” break, a 35 per cent increase from the same period last year, according to local immigration authorities.

Director of Immigration Benson Kwok Joon-fung also estimated on Sunday that the city would record 300 million arrival and departure trips by the end of 2024, a return to pre-pandemic levels.

The mainland’s annual golden week holiday runs from October 1 to 7 this year.

Kwok said 980,000 mainland visitors had entered Hong Kong between Tuesday and Saturday, up 35 per cent from last year.

More than 220,000 mainland travellers entered the city on National Day on October 1 – a 30 per cent rise year on year, he added.

“In the past five days, whether at the border checkpoints, tourism hotspots and popular restaurants, it has been very hustle and bustle, with long queues reported in many places,” he told a radio programme.

“So we can see that the [National Day] celebratory events held by the government and other sectors are very attractive. And Hong Kong remains a welcoming place for mainland tourists.”