Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki has convened an inter-departmental task force to oversee every aspect of passenger flows during the forthcoming Chinese New Year Golden Week, which runs from 15 to 23 February. According to Immigration Department modelling, about 1.43 million visitors from mainland China – roughly 160 000 per day and 6 percent more than last year – are expected to enter the city in nine days, alongside hundreds of thousands of returning residents. The projection also includes some 2 200 organised tour groups, a figure that easily surpasses the 2025 Labour Day and National Day peaks.(news.gov.hk)
To keep queues moving, all boundary-control points (BCPs) will operate at maximum capacity. Two key land checkpoints – Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge – will retain 24-hour opening, while Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line will deploy their full complement of 700 e-channels. The MTR Corporation has pledged to boost East Rail services between 13 and 23 February and will run most urban lines overnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve. A temporary Joint Command Centre staffed by Police, Immigration, Customs and Fire Services will monitor real-time conditions at every BCP and co-ordinate rapid responses.(news.gov.hk)
For visitors still sorting out travel documents, online visa facilitator VisaHQ can streamline the process. The platform guides applicants of many nationalities through Hong Kong visa requirements, offers expedited options and live support, and lets travellers file everything digitally via https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/—helping them sidestep last-minute paperwork snags and breeze through the city’s busy checkpoints.
![Hong Kong activates cross-department command to manage 1.43 million mainland arrivals over Lunar New Year Golden Week]()
Crowd-management plans extend well beyond the border. Tourism, Transport and Security bureaux are working with major theme parks, retail districts and ferry operators to stagger admission windows, publish live waiting-time data and lay on extra shuttle buses. Authorities have vowed swift enforcement against unlicensed or overcharging taxis, drawing lessons from October’s National Day surge. Separately, the Travel Industry Council has reminded tour operators to pre-register groups in order to qualify for fast-track coach parking at popular attractions.
For businesses, the projected influx promises a welcome boost. Hoteliers report city-wide occupancy at 80 percent even before CNY fireworks announcements, while retailers on Canton Road, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui expect double-digit sales growth. Corporates moving staff across the Shenzhen–Hong Kong border, however, are being urged to schedule meetings after 12 February or conduct them virtually to avoid peak-day congestion.
The Golden Week operation will be an early stress-test for Hong Kong’s new ‘mega-events economy’ strategy and a barometer of post-pandemic recovery. Smooth execution could strengthen the city’s case for expanding the multi-entry visa scheme beyond Shenzhen residents later this year, officials say.
To keep queues moving, all boundary-control points (BCPs) will operate at maximum capacity. Two key land checkpoints – Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge – will retain 24-hour opening, while Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line will deploy their full complement of 700 e-channels. The MTR Corporation has pledged to boost East Rail services between 13 and 23 February and will run most urban lines overnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve. A temporary Joint Command Centre staffed by Police, Immigration, Customs and Fire Services will monitor real-time conditions at every BCP and co-ordinate rapid responses.(news.gov.hk)
For visitors still sorting out travel documents, online visa facilitator VisaHQ can streamline the process. The platform guides applicants of many nationalities through Hong Kong visa requirements, offers expedited options and live support, and lets travellers file everything digitally via https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/—helping them sidestep last-minute paperwork snags and breeze through the city’s busy checkpoints.
Crowd-management plans extend well beyond the border. Tourism, Transport and Security bureaux are working with major theme parks, retail districts and ferry operators to stagger admission windows, publish live waiting-time data and lay on extra shuttle buses. Authorities have vowed swift enforcement against unlicensed or overcharging taxis, drawing lessons from October’s National Day surge. Separately, the Travel Industry Council has reminded tour operators to pre-register groups in order to qualify for fast-track coach parking at popular attractions.
For businesses, the projected influx promises a welcome boost. Hoteliers report city-wide occupancy at 80 percent even before CNY fireworks announcements, while retailers on Canton Road, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui expect double-digit sales growth. Corporates moving staff across the Shenzhen–Hong Kong border, however, are being urged to schedule meetings after 12 February or conduct them virtually to avoid peak-day congestion.
The Golden Week operation will be an early stress-test for Hong Kong’s new ‘mega-events economy’ strategy and a barometer of post-pandemic recovery. Smooth execution could strengthen the city’s case for expanding the multi-entry visa scheme beyond Shenzhen residents later this year, officials say.
