The Labour Day holiday saw a surge of tourism in China, setting records and providing a boost to consumption at a time when the country is looking to solidify its economic recovery.

Beijing has introduced measures aimed at boosting inbound tourism, including visa-free travel for a number of European and Southeast Asian countries.

One mainland couple opted to stay in Futian on ‘golden week’ break and commute daily across the border to Hong Kong to save cash.

Tourism minister Kevin Yeung says about 670,000 mainlanders came to city over first four days of Labour Day break.

Differences in prices and provisions of plastic-packed toiletries and other items spark anger among some visitors from across border.

Simon Wong, president of Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, says visitor numbers below expectations compared with pre-pandemic levels.

A cheaper Japanese yen is too appealing to pass up for many of China’s outbound holidaymakers, and tourism in South Korea is taking a hit.

About 800,000 trips made on Wednesday, below 1 million estimate, official data shows.

A return of Chinese travellers, who spent almost US$248 billion on trips abroad in 2019 before the pandemic, is key to filling a big hole in the global travel industry.

Visitors head to Victoria Harbour to see pyrotechnics, but some say ‘budget-style’ display not as impressive as past shows.

At least five tourist groups, each with 30 to 40 people, take photos in front of popular red brick wall displaying name and crest of HKU between 11am and 12pm.

Controversy follows earlier online debate over rules governing ‘bed curtains’ for privacy in shared rooms and smoking and alcohol on campus.

Data from the Immigration Department shows about 295,800 people, including roughly 184,440 residents, had also left the city as of 9pm

Locals say foreign visitors are littering, ignoring traffic rules and trespassing, as they flood the area searching for the perfect shot of the iconic mountain.

Police and Department of Health mount joint operation in Yau Tsim Mong district, arresting trio, aged between 29 and 33, for alleged illegal sale of medicinal products.

Predictions restaurant trade will suffer from golden week double whammy despite an estimated 800,000 tourist arrivals from across the border.

Travellers from the province will first be able to visit Matsu and then the main island of Taiwan, once direct sea services resume, official says.

Transport Department has allocated an additional 40 per cent quota for cross-border bus operators to increase service frequencies over the May 1-5 holiday.

Air China will start to add international flights from Sunday, while bookings ahead of May Day holiday have surged, but flights to US are having a sluggish recovery.

Fireworks display and shopping discounts to be on offer for May ‘golden week’ holiday, but some lawmakers appeal for more attention for less well-known areas of city.

Wang Nan hugged and thanked the four rescuers at the office of Thailand’s Pha Taem National Park, commending their swift response to the incident.

Chief Executive John Lee says the government has been making ‘comprehensive preparations’ for the coming ‘golden week’ holiday.

More than 13 million foreigners enter or exit mainland China in the first quarter of 2024 after Beijing introduces visa-free policies for countries in Europe and Southeast Asia.

China’s coming May Day holiday already has the makings of a major tourism rush, with early bookings exceeding pre-pandemic levels and the travel boom likely to fuel a much-desired round of consumption.

Tourism lawmaker Perry Yiu says industry working on presenting ‘old offerings in new or refreshing and innovative ways’.