Mainland Chinese arrivals to Hong Kong surged at start of ‘golden week’ holiday

Mainland Chinese arrivals to Hong Kong surged at the start of the National Day “golden week” holiday before easing towards last year’s levels, with tourism sector representatives attributing the early rush partly to the city’s fireworks display and tourists making the most of a shorter break.

Immigration Department figures showed that 277,304 mainland visitors arrived on October 1, up 19.1 per cent from 232,751 on the first day of last year’s holiday and 25.1 per cent from 221,644 in 2024.

“The fireworks were certainly a major factor,” lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung said, adding that this year’s seven-day holiday was one day shorter than last year’s, prompting some visitors to start their trips earlier.

The increase moderated sharply after the first day. Mainland arrivals rose 5.4 per cent year on year to 234,007 on the second day, were virtually unchanged at 221,566 on the third, and increased 2.3 per cent to 206,180 on the fourth.

In total, 939,057 mainland visitors entered Hong Kong during the first four days, about 7 per cent more than the 877,833 recorded over the same period last year and 14.5 per cent more than the 820,315 in 2024.

The figures also showed an unusually large gap between arrivals and departures on the first day, when only 49,798 mainland visitors left the city, resulting in a net inflow of 227,506.

The gap narrowed substantially from the second day, with departures outnumbering arrivals on both the third and fourth days.

Yiu said nighttime attractions could play an important role in encouraging visitors to stay overnight rather than return to the mainland on the same day.

“If there are good programmes at night, they will prefer to stay,” he said.

“Whether there are programmes worth staying for has a big impact on whether visitors are willing to remain in Hong Kong.”

He said the hotel sector had reported bookings of more than 90 per cent on the first day of the holiday, while the industry expected overall occupancy during the break to reach about 90 per cent.

Yiu cited the National Day fireworks and the extended lantern display at Victoria Park as events that could encourage visitors to stay longer. Tourists hoping to attend several attractions, he said, would need more time in the city.

Sai Kung district councillor Christine Fong Kwok-shan said after visiting Ham Tin Wan over the weekend that the popular countryside destination had attracted large numbers of visitors.

She said conditions had improved compared with previous peak periods, with less litter on the beach and around public facilities.

“Visitor numbers increase during holidays, and while making it convenient for people to get close to nature, properly managing environmental hygiene and facilities is equally important,” Fong wrote on social media.

But she said the influx had also exposed other problems, including visitors washing their hair and shoes in public washbasins, mosquitoes around the toilets and what appeared to be traces of a fire on the beach.

Fong called for better management as visitor numbers rose during holidays, including more recycling facilities, clearer signs showing where fires were permitted and improvements to public amenities.

She added that residents and visitors had also suggested repairing the nearby single-log bridge to make it easier to travel between the beach and the village.

Social media posts by mainland visitors also reflected heavy crowds at popular attractions during the opening days of the holiday.

Users posted images and videos of packed crowds in Tsim Sha Tsui during the fireworks.

One visitor described Kennedy Town as “packed to bursting” on the third day of the holiday, saying queues had formed for trams, waterfront photo spots and cafes despite the overcast weather. They advised visitors to avoid peak periods or allow extra time.

Other posts complained about rubbish left behind after the fireworks. One user urged visitors to carry rubbish bags and dispose of their waste rather than leave it on the streets.

The government has forecast that about 1.29 million mainland visitors will enter Hong Kong during the seven-day holiday.