An inter-agency report compiled by VisaHQ on 9 January shows that Hong Kong recorded 950,000 inbound border crossings between 31 December and 4 January—40 per cent more than the same period a year earlier—without major congestion. Mainland Chinese travellers accounted for 740,000 entries following Beijing’s extended public-holiday schedule.
To keep queues moving, the Immigration Department opened 300 extra e-Channel lanes, extended Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay control-point hours and activated a joint Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre staffed by Customs, Police and Transport officers. Average wait times were reportedly held below 30 minutes even at peak flows, a performance welcomed by manufacturers and consultancies that rely on same-day shuttles between Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area plants.
Travel planners looking to minimise friction amid these rising volumes can tap VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) to verify Hong Kong entry requirements, submit visa applications and arrange secure document pickup—helping both corporate groups and individual travellers breeze through immigration checkpoints.
![Holiday stress test: Hong Kong handles 950,000 arrivals over New-Year weekend with minimal delays]()
Hotel occupancy hit 92 per cent, but per-capita visitor spend stayed muted—evidence, analysts say, that corporate groups kept budgets tight despite robust volumes. Airline timetable data from OAG show that Hong Kong has restored 87 per cent of its pre-Covid mainland seat capacity, up from 63 per cent a year earlier, signalling continued upside for cross-border commerce.
Looking ahead, immigration officials plan to pilot facial-recognition e-gates capable of processing 60 passengers a minute before the Lunar New Year surge in February. Mobility managers should brief travellers on new on-arrival registration steps and note that PCR-test exemptions for frequent commuters expire at month-end unless renewed.
The smooth processing underlines Hong Kong’s readiness to host a packed 2026 events calendar—including Art Basel, Rugby Sevens and multiple MICE exhibitions—without the bottlenecks that plagued reopening phases in 2023–24.
To keep queues moving, the Immigration Department opened 300 extra e-Channel lanes, extended Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay control-point hours and activated a joint Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre staffed by Customs, Police and Transport officers. Average wait times were reportedly held below 30 minutes even at peak flows, a performance welcomed by manufacturers and consultancies that rely on same-day shuttles between Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area plants.
Travel planners looking to minimise friction amid these rising volumes can tap VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) to verify Hong Kong entry requirements, submit visa applications and arrange secure document pickup—helping both corporate groups and individual travellers breeze through immigration checkpoints.
Hotel occupancy hit 92 per cent, but per-capita visitor spend stayed muted—evidence, analysts say, that corporate groups kept budgets tight despite robust volumes. Airline timetable data from OAG show that Hong Kong has restored 87 per cent of its pre-Covid mainland seat capacity, up from 63 per cent a year earlier, signalling continued upside for cross-border commerce.
Looking ahead, immigration officials plan to pilot facial-recognition e-gates capable of processing 60 passengers a minute before the Lunar New Year surge in February. Mobility managers should brief travellers on new on-arrival registration steps and note that PCR-test exemptions for frequent commuters expire at month-end unless renewed.
The smooth processing underlines Hong Kong’s readiness to host a packed 2026 events calendar—including Art Basel, Rugby Sevens and multiple MICE exhibitions—without the bottlenecks that plagued reopening phases in 2023–24.
