Almost 1 million people leave Hong Kong for holiday long weekend as mainland Chinese tourists hit city as part of ‘golden week’ break
- Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung on Saturday says more than 700 mainland tour groups expected to arrive in the city in next few days
- About 122,877 mainland visitors arrive in Hong Kong on Friday, first day of their eight-day ‘golden week’ break
Almost 1 million people left Hong Kong on Friday and Saturday and more than 600,000 arrived as the city and mainland China started their first post-coronavirus Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays.
Immigration Department figures showed 612,323 people arrived in the city over the two days and 936,081 had left, a net outflow of more than 323,000.
Many residents who travelled to Shenzhen for the long weekend said they found the attractions in the mainland city more appealing, but most visitors to Hong Kong from across the border interviewed by the Post travelled independently and said they only planned to stay for a day.
There were 338,560 Hong Kong residents who departed the city on Friday, the start of the three-day weekend, a 35 per cent week-on-week increase.
About 122,877 mainland visitors entered Hong Kong on the same day, the first day of the eight-day National Day “golden week” holiday across the border, a 56 per cent week-on-week surge.
A total of 503,169 travellers had departed the city by 9pm on Saturday and 322,251 arrived, but the breakdown by residents and mainland visitors was not yet available.
