Around 600 tour groups are set to depart Hong Kong for the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend, although the tourism sector expects heavy rain and World Cup fever to keep some residents at home.
Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said in an interview that about 600 tour groups are expected to leave Hong Kong tomorrow for short-haul trips, representing a 50 percent increase from a typical Friday.
He said destinations such as Shunde and Nanhai, where special dragon boat races will be held, have become popular choices among travelers.
With hot weather setting in, Chui said “summer escape” tours to Guangning and Zhaoqing, featuring natural scenery and heritage architecture, have also seen strong demand, with prices starting from HK$1,100.
However, he expected traveler numbers to be slightly lower than during previous long holidays, as the ongoing World Cup may keep some football fans from traveling.
Recent rainy weather could also dampen travel sentiment and make Hongkongers less willing to head out, he added.
According to the mainland railway booking platform, tickets for the long weekend are tighter than usual, although they are not as scarce as during the Easter or Ching Ming Festival mini-golden week.
Short-haul routes from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, Xiamen, Nanchang and Zhaoqing on Friday are largely full or available only through waitlists.
While more seats remain available on Saturday, longer routes to destinations such as Chengdu, Changsha and Guilin remain tight, with limited waitlist-only options.
