Hong Kong’s border crossings were inundated on 16 February as the Chinese mainland began its nine-day Spring Festival holiday. Government data show 377,000 visitor arrivals by 9 p.m., the vast majority coming through Shenzhen checkpoints. Financial Secretary Paul Chan forecasts a total of 1.43 million mainland trips into the city during the period—6 percent more than in 2025—thanks to extended opening hours at Lo Wu, round-the-clock service at the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, and a packed calendar of New Year parades, fireworks and horse-racing. (en.people.cn)
The surge is the first big stress-test of Hong Kong’s rebuilt cross-border infrastructure since quarantine-free travel fully resumed last year. Transport operators added 10 percent more coaches on the Shenzhen–Tsim Sha Tsui corridor, while MTR Corp dispatched overnight trains for the first three festival nights to clear peak crowds. Retail landlords at Harbour City and IFC Mall said footfall was already outstripping 2019 baselines, buoying hopes that tax-free luxury spending will rebound.
For travelers who need certainty on entry requirements during this busy season, VisaHQ can expedite visa and travel permit processing for China and Hong Kong, offering real-time guidance, courier submission, and status tracking through its online platform: https://www.visahq.com/china/ This support can be especially valuable for corporate mobility teams juggling last-minute itineraries.
![Hong Kong Logs 377,000 Mainland Arrivals on First Day of Spring Festival Golden Week]()
For mobility managers, the influx means longer queues at land checkpoints and potential hotel rate spikes. Corporates sending staff to Hong Kong this week should book accommodation well in advance and advise travellers to use the still-under-utilised West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus or the bridge crossing to avoid Lo Wu bottlenecks. Employers should also remind travellers that electronic declaration of goods is now mandatory for anyone carrying commercial samples.
Authorities have deployed an extra 1,200 police and immigration officers to manage crowd control. The Hong Kong Tourism Board expects daily arrivals to remain above 300,000 until the Golden Week ends on 23 February, after which cross-border volumes normally drop by half.
From a policy perspective, the strong numbers validate Beijing’s recent decision to maintain unilateral visa exemptions for 45 countries and to expand e-gate eligibility for Guangdong residents entering Hong Kong. Regional planners will monitor whether the uptick translates into sustained weekend travel once festival fever subsides.
The surge is the first big stress-test of Hong Kong’s rebuilt cross-border infrastructure since quarantine-free travel fully resumed last year. Transport operators added 10 percent more coaches on the Shenzhen–Tsim Sha Tsui corridor, while MTR Corp dispatched overnight trains for the first three festival nights to clear peak crowds. Retail landlords at Harbour City and IFC Mall said footfall was already outstripping 2019 baselines, buoying hopes that tax-free luxury spending will rebound.
For travelers who need certainty on entry requirements during this busy season, VisaHQ can expedite visa and travel permit processing for China and Hong Kong, offering real-time guidance, courier submission, and status tracking through its online platform: https://www.visahq.com/china/ This support can be especially valuable for corporate mobility teams juggling last-minute itineraries.
For mobility managers, the influx means longer queues at land checkpoints and potential hotel rate spikes. Corporates sending staff to Hong Kong this week should book accommodation well in advance and advise travellers to use the still-under-utilised West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus or the bridge crossing to avoid Lo Wu bottlenecks. Employers should also remind travellers that electronic declaration of goods is now mandatory for anyone carrying commercial samples.
Authorities have deployed an extra 1,200 police and immigration officers to manage crowd control. The Hong Kong Tourism Board expects daily arrivals to remain above 300,000 until the Golden Week ends on 23 February, after which cross-border volumes normally drop by half.
From a policy perspective, the strong numbers validate Beijing’s recent decision to maintain unilateral visa exemptions for 45 countries and to expand e-gate eligibility for Guangdong residents entering Hong Kong. Regional planners will monitor whether the uptick translates into sustained weekend travel once festival fever subsides.
