HK braces for 8.76m cross-border trips during National Day Golden Week

The Immigration Department anticipates approximately 8.76 million passenger trips through Hong Kong’s sea, land, and air border control points during the National Day Golden Week holiday from October 1 to October 8.

The forecast came on Friday following coordination with mainland authorities, including the Shenzhen Exit-Entry Border Inspection Corps, which indicates about 7.52 million trips passing through land border crossings.

The busiest day for departures is expected to be October 4, with around 660,000 exits, while arrivals will peak on October 1 with approximately 610,000 entries.

The Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, and Shenzhen Bay control points are projected to be particularly congested, with average daily traffic expected to reach about 240,000, 220,000, and 140,000 passengers, respectively.

To manage the holiday surge, the Immigration Department has reduced frontline staff leave to allow flexible manpower allocation. Additional counters and channels will be opened to facilitate smoother passenger and vehicle processing.

A joint command center involving the Immigration Department, Hong Kong Police Force, Customs and Excise Department, and MTR Corporation will be established at the Lo Wu control point. The center will monitor passenger flow in real-time and implement crowd management measures as needed.

Meanwhile, authorities said close communication will be maintained with mainland border authorities to ensure a coordinated response, ensuring orderly cross-border movement throughout the holiday period.