Fresh Immigration Department figures analysed by the South China Morning Post reveal that 2.73 million outbound trips were made by Hong Kong residents between 23 and 28 December, up 11 % on the same period last year. Departures peaked at 664 660 on Christmas Day, when a four-day weekend tempted many families north for shopping and affordable airfares via Shenzhen airports.
Industry bodies say the exodus did not dent local festive spending. The Hong Kong Bar and Club Association reported a 10 % year-on-year increase in takings as returning expatriates and a rebound in European and US holidaymakers filled nightlife venues. Hoteliers in Tsim Sha Tsui recorded average occupancy of 92 %, while front-of-house staff shortages remained the main operational bottleneck.
Travel agencies note that Guangzhou, Bangkok and Tokyo were the top three flight destinations booked by Hongkongers, while high-speed rail tickets to Futian and Guangzhou South sold out within minutes of release. Analysts attribute the outward surge to a strong Hong Kong dollar peg, pent-up travel demand and growing confidence in cross-border health protocols.
![Outbound Christmas rush: 2.73 million Hongkongers left the city, nightlife takings rise 10 %]()
Travellers keen to capitalise on this momentum but unsure about visa requirements for destinations such as Thailand, Japan or beyond can turn to VisaHQ for quick online processing and up-to-date entry guidance. The Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) lets residents check requirements, submit digital applications and receive courier-delivered visas, making spontaneous holiday plans far less stressful.
For mobility managers, the numbers signal that employee travel budgets will need to accommodate higher seasonal prices and scarcer seat inventory. Companies have been advised to adopt flexible work-from-anywhere policies around major public holidays and to stagger travel to avoid peak dates such as 24 December, 1 January and the Lunar New Year getaway on 28 January.
Policy-wise, the government sees outbound strength as another argument for accelerating integration with Greater Bay Area transport nodes. It is pressing ahead with 38 additional high-speed rail services over the next six weeks and has asked airlines to request ad-hoc slots to secondary mainland airports to absorb holiday spill-over demand.
Industry bodies say the exodus did not dent local festive spending. The Hong Kong Bar and Club Association reported a 10 % year-on-year increase in takings as returning expatriates and a rebound in European and US holidaymakers filled nightlife venues. Hoteliers in Tsim Sha Tsui recorded average occupancy of 92 %, while front-of-house staff shortages remained the main operational bottleneck.
Travel agencies note that Guangzhou, Bangkok and Tokyo were the top three flight destinations booked by Hongkongers, while high-speed rail tickets to Futian and Guangzhou South sold out within minutes of release. Analysts attribute the outward surge to a strong Hong Kong dollar peg, pent-up travel demand and growing confidence in cross-border health protocols.
Travellers keen to capitalise on this momentum but unsure about visa requirements for destinations such as Thailand, Japan or beyond can turn to VisaHQ for quick online processing and up-to-date entry guidance. The Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) lets residents check requirements, submit digital applications and receive courier-delivered visas, making spontaneous holiday plans far less stressful.
For mobility managers, the numbers signal that employee travel budgets will need to accommodate higher seasonal prices and scarcer seat inventory. Companies have been advised to adopt flexible work-from-anywhere policies around major public holidays and to stagger travel to avoid peak dates such as 24 December, 1 January and the Lunar New Year getaway on 28 January.
Policy-wise, the government sees outbound strength as another argument for accelerating integration with Greater Bay Area transport nodes. It is pressing ahead with 38 additional high-speed rail services over the next six weeks and has asked airlines to request ad-hoc slots to secondary mainland airports to absorb holiday spill-over demand.
