Hong Kong Immigration Department: Over 1.01 million mainland Chinese visitors arrived in Hong Kong during the May Day Golden Week.

The five-day Golden Week holiday in Mainland China ended on May 5th. According to data from Hong Kong Immigration Department, there were over 5.62 million inbound and outbound travelers passing through various control points in Hong Kong, which was fewer than the Immigration Department's earlier estimate of 6 million. Among them, there were over 1.01 million inbound travelers from Mainland China, exceeding the Hong Kong government's expectation of 980,000. Additionally, more than 1.504 million Hong Kong residents traveled outbound. The peak period for inbound travelers from Mainland China was on May 2nd, with over 263,000 arrivals and over 250,000 departures. The peak period for outbound Hong Kong residents was on May 1st, with over 430,000 departures; the highest number of inbound travelers was on May 3rd, with over 481,000 arrivals. The Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Anthony Lau, stated that the number of inbound travelers from Mainland China exceeded the government's expectations, and professionals in the tourism and retail industry reported better business than usual. He mentioned that during the first two days of the Golden Week, more than 70,000 Mainland Chinese visitors arrived in Hong Kong by high-speed rail, surpassing those who arrived by air. This indicated that high-speed rail played a significant role in attracting passengers. Lau also mentioned that representatives from the budget hotel industry reported almost full occupancy rates on the first day of the Golden Week, with an average occupancy rate of 90% in the following days, and room rates increased by 10% to 15% compared to previous years. The Chairman of the Hong Kong Inbound Tour Operators Association, Kenny Shum, pointed out that the growth in tourists during the holiday was a "blessing for Hong Kong." However, based on recent travel trends, most high-speed rail passengers are independent travelers or young tourists, rather than group tour members. Some passengers arriving by high-speed rail book hotels, which is beneficial for Hong Kong, as the city still offers a fresh experience to Mainland Chinese tourists. Regarding tourist attractions, Shum mentioned that young travelers are very savvy and often rely on platforms like Little Red Book for recommendations when exploring Hong Kong. In contrast, group tour members tend to be older and typically stay for a night or two before returning to Shenzhen, with a preference for traditional attractions like Ocean Park. Therefore, the industry is currently focusing on catering to the "multi-destination" travel needs of tour groups.