Hong Kong gears up for 800,000 mainland Chinese visitors over Labour Day ‘golden week’ holiday
- Chief Executive John Lee says the government has been making ‘comprehensive preparations’ for the coming ‘golden week’ holiday
- Shopping festival will also be held in Yau Tsim Mong district, with various retailers and restaurants offering perks and discounts, source says
Hong Kong is gearing up for at least 800,000 mainland Chinese visitors and about 5.9 million people crossing border checkpoints over the Labour Day “golden week” holiday, the city leader has said, while a popular tourist area is planning a shopping festival.
The government’s forecast on mainland tourist numbers and immigration traffic for the five-day holiday marked 28 per cent and 75 per cent increases respectively on the figures for the same period last year.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the government had been making “comprehensive preparations” for the golden week holiday, which falls from May 1 to 5, by keeping in close contact with transport operators, working with businesses to offer promotions, and ensuring good management of tour groups.
“We will make good use of this opportunity to show that Hong Kong is a vibrant city. We welcome tourists,” he said.
“Hong Kong will give tourists good experiences that they will not just enjoy, but when they finish their business, they will tell their friends and neighbours within their home cities.”
Lee said the government would make further announcements on arrangements for border control points nearer to the start of the peak holiday period.