With the National Day Golden Week holiday approaching, Hong Kong anticipates a massive travel surge, with an estimated 8.76 million people expected to cross the city’s borders between October 1 and 8, immigration officials announced Friday.
The Immigration Department projects that approximately 7.52 million travelers will pass through land boundary control points, marking one of the busiest travel periods in recent years. October 4 is forecast to be the peak outbound travel day, with around 660,000 passengers, while October 1 is expected to see the highest number of arrivals at approximately 610,000.
Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, and Shenzhen Bay checkpoints are anticipated to experience the most significant congestion during the eight-day holiday period.
“We’re preparing for a significant volume of cross-border movement,” said a senior immigration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Careful planning and coordination are crucial to managing this travel rush.”
The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by the city’s chief secretary, has initiated close coordination with mainland Chinese authorities to ensure smooth passenger flow and minimize potential bottlenecks.
Officials strongly advised travelers to plan meticulously, avoid peak travel times, and stay informed through media broadcasts about real-time checkpoint conditions.
The anticipated travel volume reflects Hong Kong’s continued integration with mainland China and the popularity of the National Day holiday for cross-border travel.
Travelers are urged to check official channels for the latest updates and prepare for potentially crowded transit points.
