9 million people expected to pass through Hong Kong’s border control points over Ching Ming Festival, Easter as authorities estimate post-Covid visitor surge
- Immigration Department predicts sharp year-on-year increase in travellers during first long holiday after lifting of Covid-19 travel curbs
- About 7.54 million passengers will enter Hong Kong or leave through land boundary control points from April 1 to 10, department says
More than 9 million people are expected to pass through Hong Kong’s border control points during the Ching Ming Festival and Easter next week, the Immigration Department has said, estimating a sharp year-on-year increase in travellers during the first long holiday after the lifting of Covid-19 curbs.
The department on Thursday also said 83.5 per cent, or 7.54 million, of the passengers would enter and leave Hong Kong through land boundary control points from April 1 to 10, with the data including both city residents and visitors.
It said it expected 522,000 outbound travellers on April 7, and 519,000 inbound ones on April 10.
The tomb-sweeping Ching Ming Festival falls on April 5.
The total estimate of 9.03 million passengers this year marks a significant increase compared with last year’s figures, with data from the department showing only 17,220 passed through Hong Kong’s border control points, while 25,499 left the city during the same period.
During that time, Hong Kong and mainland China were battling the fifth and worst Covid-19 wave because of an Omicron outbreak.
Both places implemented strict social-distancing rules, including a closed-loop arrangement for cross-boundary truck drivers.
