Lunar New Year travel: Hong Kong to get more than 1 million mainland Chinese tourists over holiday period
- Fanny Yeung, Travel Industry Council executive director, says visitor numbers from the mainland estimated to be about 80 to 85 per cent of pre-pandemic levels
- Immigration Department says it expects 7.5 million trips by Hongkongers and tourists starting on Lunar New Year’s Eve
Hong Kong will welcome more than 1 million mainland Chinese visitors for the Lunar New Year holiday as a series of festive celebrations, including fireworks, return to the city and border checkpoints plan extended opening hours.
Fanny Yeung Shuk-fan, the executive director of the Travel Industry Council, predicted the number of visitors from the mainland to Hong Kong between February 10 and 17 would hit about 1.2 million, 80 to 85 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
She said about 130 tour groups a day were expected, with same-day tour parties potentially pushing the number up to 190.
“For inbound, we are quite happy with the estimates,” Yeung added. “Those coming know there is the night parade on the first day, and then the fireworks on the second day and the government also has special arrangements for the border facilities.”
The Immigration Department said it expected 7.5 million trips by Hongkongers and tourists starting on February 9, Lunar New Year’s Eve, until February 17.
It said there would be 6 million trips through the city’s land boundary control points with the mainland.
The fourth day of the new year, February 13, was expected to be the busiest with 607,000 trips in and out, the department added.
