HK prepares for 840,000 mainland visitors during upcoming Labour Day holiday

As the Labour Day holiday of the Chinese mainland approaches, it is expected that 840,000 mainland visitors will visit Hong Kong during the period.

This year's Labour Day holiday runs for five consecutive days, from May 1 to May 5.

The government said it will maintain close coordination with relevant organizations and the tourism sector to ensure effective crowd management, information dissemination, arrangements of public transportation and boundary control points.

According to the Immigration Department's estimate, around 5.71 million passengers, including Hong Kong residents and visitors, will pass through Hong Kong's sea, land and air control points during the Labour Day holiday.

In terms of mainland inbound visitors, the Department estimated that around 840,000 passengers will visit Hong Kong via various sea, land and air control points during the five-day holiday.

Compared with last year's Labour Day holiday and this year's Chinese New Year holiday, the daily average visitor arrivals are expected to increase by 10 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

The Travel Industry Authority has reminded travel agents receiving mainland inbound tour groups to adopt appropriate diversion measures to enable proper management of visitor flows and tour buses, with a view to offering a pleasant travel experience to visitors.

A joint interdepartmental command center, comprising the Police Force, Immigration Department, Hong Kong Customs, and other relevant departments, will be activated from May 1 to May 5 to monitor real-time situations at various control points.

The center will maintain close communication with mainland port authorities through established hotlines and real-time notification mechanisms, allowing for swift responses and adjustments while ensuring smooth operations at control points.

During the holiday, the Tourism Industry Authority will patrol areas with registered shops frequented by inbound tour groups and assist travelers and tour guides to safeguard their rights.

Additionally, the police will continue to step up enforcement actions against any illegal acts of taxi drivers, including overcharging and refusing hires. The customs will intensify inspections of shops serving visitors to combat unfair trade practices.