Hong Kong gears up for a festive season with a surge in tourism as mainland Chinese visitors lead the way. Photo: Facebook/Joe HoHong Kong is expecting a surge in travellers from mainland China and other regions over the Christmas and New Year period, while many locals are leaving the city for the holidays.
Mainland visitor Wang Xin from Shandong province landed at Hong Kong International Airport on Sunday afternoon with her boyfriend for a five-day holiday.
“I have some good memories in the city, so I decided to bring my boyfriend. It’ll be his first time in Hong Kong, and we plan to do all the touristy stuff, including touring around Victoria Harbour and taking the Star Ferry,” said Wang, who is self-employed.
Before boarding a bus to their hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, she took photos of a dazzling Christmas tree in the middle of the arrival hall. Wang described the airport as “convenient and pretty”.
Some tourists chose Hong Kong because of its strong festive atmosphere.
Eva Nan Xi, a marketing worker in neighbouring Shenzhen, arrived in Hong Kong by high-speed rail for a day trip to immerse herself in the city’s holiday vibe.
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“Many of my foreign clients have talked about how they celebrated Christmas abroad, which makes me want to experience that myself,” said Nan, who is in her late 20s.
“The Christmas vibe on the mainland is not that strong. Hong Kong is a pretty good option given that I don’t have time to go abroad.”
Nan did not have an exact budget, but she is not into shopping, she said. Her to-do list included taking pictures in front of a giant Christmas tree near the harbour.
The Immigration Department estimated that Hong Kong’s sea, land and air control points would record more than 13 million passenger trips, covering both locals and visitors, over the Christmas and New Year period from December 21 to January 1.
The checkpoint at the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus recorded a net outflow of 11,957 people as of 9pm on Sunday, the latest department figures showed. At the airport, there was a net outflow of 22,171 people.
German visitor Tobias Haubner, a 27-year-old consultant, departed from Guangzhou for Hong Kong by high-speed rail with five family members.
They planned to stay in Hong Kong and Macau for three days to explore and taste local food. The final destination of the two-week family trip is Cebu in the Philippines, where they will celebrate Christmas and New Year with a budget of US$2,000 per person.
“It’s so much warmer than Germany,” Haubner said.