Hong Kong’s Tourism Board confirmed late on 27 January that the city’s first Lunar New Year parade since the pandemic will roll through Tsim Sha Tsui on 17 February and is expected to attract about 100,000 spectators—half of them inbound tourists. (scmp.com) Twelve themed floats and more than 30 local and overseas performance troupes will participate, with crowd-pullers such as global toy sensation ‘Labubu’ and the iconic Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree making their parade debuts.
With border restrictions a thing of the past and Cathay Pacific back to 80 % of pre-Covid capacity, the parade doubles as a real-time stress-test of Hong Kong’s immigration checkpoints. The Immigration Department forecasts land-border volumes to spike by 15 % over last year’s Golden Week peak; airlines have already added 45 extra sectors on regional routes between 15–20 February.
Whether you’re a tourist keen to catch the parade or a mobility manager arranging short-term work permits, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) streamlines the paperwork with real-time visa requirement checks, electronic applications and courier pickup of passports, cutting lead times and helping travellers sidestep last-minute surprises at immigration.
![Lunar New Year parade set to draw 100,000 visitors to Hong Kong]()
Hoteliers in the parade zone report occupancy above 90 %, and the Travel Industry Council has advised tour operators to stagger coach arrivals to avoid bottlenecks at Harbour City. Corporates scheduling relocation look-and-see trips or assignee arrivals should plan around road closures and longer processing times at Shenzhen Bay and Lo Wu.
The Tourism Board is spending HK$30 million on promotion, including an extended public display of eight floats at the new Kai Tak Sports Park—a first that aims to disperse crowds and lengthen visitor stays. If successful, the strategy could become a template for managing event-driven mobility while maximising economic impact.
For mobility managers, the key takeaway is timing: expect higher airfares and hotel rates from 15–20 February, book early and consider routing Mainland assignees through less-congested ports such as the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai control point.
With border restrictions a thing of the past and Cathay Pacific back to 80 % of pre-Covid capacity, the parade doubles as a real-time stress-test of Hong Kong’s immigration checkpoints. The Immigration Department forecasts land-border volumes to spike by 15 % over last year’s Golden Week peak; airlines have already added 45 extra sectors on regional routes between 15–20 February.
Whether you’re a tourist keen to catch the parade or a mobility manager arranging short-term work permits, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) streamlines the paperwork with real-time visa requirement checks, electronic applications and courier pickup of passports, cutting lead times and helping travellers sidestep last-minute surprises at immigration.
Hoteliers in the parade zone report occupancy above 90 %, and the Travel Industry Council has advised tour operators to stagger coach arrivals to avoid bottlenecks at Harbour City. Corporates scheduling relocation look-and-see trips or assignee arrivals should plan around road closures and longer processing times at Shenzhen Bay and Lo Wu.
The Tourism Board is spending HK$30 million on promotion, including an extended public display of eight floats at the new Kai Tak Sports Park—a first that aims to disperse crowds and lengthen visitor stays. If successful, the strategy could become a template for managing event-driven mobility while maximising economic impact.
For mobility managers, the key takeaway is timing: expect higher airfares and hotel rates from 15–20 February, book early and consider routing Mainland assignees through less-congested ports such as the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai control point.
