Hong Kong ready for Golden Week rush, says John Lee

Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee Ka-chiu, said on Tuesday that he expects the National Day Golden Week holiday to attract many tourists to the city, and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau will implement measures to cater to the surge in visitors.

The Chief Executive also said visitors will be able to enjoy Hong Kong’s night vibes with waves of events under a government campaign promoting the night economy.

Speaking to the press ahead of his weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said he expects hundreds of thousands of locals and tourists to watch the fireworks display along Victoria Harbour on October 1.

He said the SAR will deploy additional human resources at cross-boundary facilities and the airport to handle the surge in traffic, while businesses in the city are also preparing to host the visitors.

When asked about the government’s “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign, Lee said there would be events coming “wave after wave,” with a series of events set to kickstart at the city’s harborfront spaces in Wan Chai, Kennedy Town, and in Kwun Tong.

He also noted that government departments are working closely with the event organizers to provide all necessary assistance, such as assisting vendors to safely operate open-fire cooking at night markets.

Meanwhile, the Travel Industry Authority expects about 720 mainland tour groups to visit the SAR next week, involving some 30,000 tourists.

Many more mainland visitors will be coming on an individual basis, it added.

The authority said it has stepped up inspections of shops at tourist spots after a few Chinese pharmacies in Causeway Bay were named by the Consumer Council for conning customers.