Hong Kong Immigration Department Projects 7.44 Million Trips

Between October 1 and October 7, approximately 7.44 million resident and visitor trips are expected through Hong Kong border control points during the National Day golden week, according to projections from the Hong Kong Immigration Department reported by mt.sohu.com. Paul Chan reported that the first three days of the holiday alone drew over 732,000 mainland visitors, representing an 8.4 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

Cross-Boundary Traffic Reaches 7.44 Million Trips

The Immigration Department estimated that total cross-boundary traffic across all sea, land, and air checkpoints would reach 7.44 million trips during the seven-day holiday period, with road and rail crossings accounting for roughly 6.31 million of those journeys, mt.sohu.com reported. Transport authorities projected that outbound road and rail traffic would peak on October 3 with about 587,000 travelers departing, while inbound travel would peak on October 4 with approximately 586,000 arrivals. Daily average entries at the Luohu, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, and Shenzhen Wan control points were expected to reach 220,000, 190,000, and 150,000 passengers respectively. To handle the congestion, the Immigration Department deployed additional counter staff, reduced frontline leave, and launched the contactless e-Channel service at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge port to allow qualified permanent residents to clear border checks using facial recognition technology without presenting physical identification, as detailed by mt.sohu.com.

Cultural Celebrations And The Shift Toward Experiential Tourism

Festive programming across the city featured the National Day fireworks display over Victoria Harbour, drone performances, and a special race day, complementing traditional events like the Tai Hang fire dragon dance held ahead of the holiday, China News Service reported through yzwb.net. Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau Secretary Rosanna Law noted in a television interview reported by hk.on.cc that tourist spending habits have fundamentally evolved from past patterns where visitors might purchase ten handbags and ten watches. Law emphasized that the government’s future strategy focuses heavily on visitor experiences and local creative industries, noting strong visitor interest in mall displays featuring independent designers and artists.

Transport Operators Increase Service Frequencies

To support the influx of travelers, the Transport Department directed local and cross-boundary public transport operators to increase service frequencies, with the MTR Corporation strengthening East Rail Line services between Admiralty and Luohu or Lok Ma Chau, and the High Speed Rail Hong Kong Section adding train capacity, mt.sohu.com reported. Transport Department Commissioner and Chairman of the Taxi Service Quality Committee Angela Lee Wing-yi led a delegation on September 29 to urge taxi operators to maintain high standards of courtesy, accept electronic payments, and utilize designated taxi fleets. The enforcement of the taxi driver demerit point system, which took effect on September 22, 2024, has already resulted in approximately 230 drivers being penalized for offenses such as overcharging, refusing hires, or taking indirect routes, according to mt.sohu.com.

Financial Markets Show Strong Performance

Alongside retail and tourism activity, Paul Chan noted that Hong Kong's financial markets performed strongly during the first nine months of the year, with average daily stock turnover reaching HK$272.9 billion, a 6.4 percent year-on-year increase. The initial public offering market saw 116 companies list in Hong Kong, raising over HK$388 billion and surpassing the total for the entirety of the previous year. Following his visit to Doha for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank annual meeting, Chan reported that Hong Kong is expanding its institutional and economic ties with Middle Eastern economies, focusing on technological collaboration, renewable energy, and supply chain logistics infrastructure.

Tourism Value Added Reaches HK$126 Billion by 2030

Looking toward longer-term development, the Hong Kong government released its first five-year plan, establishing clear directives to deepen the integration of culture, sports, and tourism while expanding high-quality product offerings, China News Service reported via yzwb.net. The framework projects that the value added by the tourism industry will reach HK$126 billion by 2030. Despite ongoing challenges in long-haul and short-haul travel markets related to global airline pricing and geopolitical shifts, Secretary Rosanna Law expressed confidence on hk.on.cc that Hong Kong remains on track to pursue its broader visitor arrival milestones while actively refreshing its global destination brand.