- Immigration Department data indicates 800,000 trips were made on Wednesday, which is 200,000 below a previous estimate
- Weather to remain unsettled throughout the holiday period, with rainy and cloudy conditions forecast until Sunday
Hong Kong records 20% fewer trips than expected on day one of Labour Day ‘golden week’ holiday amid bad weather. Photo: Jelly TseHong Kong’s “golden week” holiday start was slower than expected, with 20 per cent fewer trips in and out of the city than anticipated amid bad weather. However, mainland Chinese tourists continued to stream in on Thursday, one day after Labour Day.
Immigration Department statistics showed travellers made about 800,000 trips on Wednesday, the first day of the break that runs from May 1 to 5 on the mainland. The figure was lower than the department’s estimate of 1 million.
Weather in the city was expected to remain unsettled throughout the holiday period, with rainy and cloudy conditions forecast until Sunday.
Hong Kong Tourism Association executive director Timothy Chui Ting-pong said he believed the bad weather had discouraged some visitors, although he noted others might have simply avoided travelling to the city on the first day of the break.
In Tsim Sha Tsui, hundreds of visitors descended on popular tourist spot Avenue of Stars despite thick fog obscuring Victoria Peak from the waterfront promenade.
The SCMP observed on Thursday that many visitors from the mainland were on day trips from places close to the border, and they said they were not planning to go on shopping sprees.
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Shenzhen resident Zhang Yu arrived on Thursday morning and enjoyed a classic local pineapple bun snack in a cafe in Mong Kok before heading to Tsim Sha Tsui.
“We went to Kam Wah Cafe and Cake Shop for the bun, it’s apparently the best in Hong Kong,” the 33-year-old aviation professional said. “It’s not bad but it felt a little greasy towards the end as there was a lot of butter.”
Zhang crossed the border at Lo Wu with three friends from school, before taking the MTR downtown. Their itinerary included taking a trip on the Star Ferry to Central, going on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel and riding the Peak Tram.
“I’m not planning to go shopping as time is limited, and also because I’m with friends. But I may do so next time, if I come by myself,” said Zhang, a native of the northeastern part of the mainland.
She said her trip set her back about 600 to 700 yuan (US$97).
Liao Yingwei and two friends looked up travel tips from influencers on the Instagram-like mainland social media platform Xiaohongshu before arriving.
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She said they intended to visit Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui and Central on their day trip.
“We simply plan to wander around and take in the city atmosphere. It’s our first time in Hong Kong,” said Liao, who works in education and will head back to Shenzhen after her visit.
“Shopping is not a must for us, but we’ll see. We’re not entirely sure yet. We’ll go have a look at duty free shops,” the 25-year-old Guangxi native said, adding that she had not spent much yet apart from the 1,500 yuan she paid for a high-speed rail ticket.
Clerk Lu Bingxin’s trip to the city with her friend was cut short from two days to one because of flight delays, causing her to miss the fireworks display on Wednesday evening.
“We want to go to the graffiti wall in Central for photos, and also Kennedy Town,” she said. “We are also looking to eat egg tarts.”
Lu, who is in her twenties and hails from Zhejiang, said the whole trip had cost her about 3,000 to 4,000 yuan, although they were not planning to shop.
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The government has said it expects 5.9 million trips – comprising departures and arrivals – to be made between May 1 and 5, with about 800,000 mainland visitors spending the holiday in the city.
As of 9pm on Thursday, nearly 370,000 trips had been made to Hong Kong on the second day of the holiday, including more than 186,000 by mainland tourists.
Over the same period, 51,501 outbound journeys were recorded with more than 60 per cent, or 34,422, made by local residents. The total number of trips was 162,242.