Hong Kong’s tourism revival shifted into high gear on 16 February, with government counters logging more than 377,000 visitor arrivals by 9 p.m.—the highest single-day tally since quarantine-free travel resumed in 2025. Mainland Chinese tourists made up the lion’s share, crowding Causeway Bay gold-shops in search of horse-themed jewellery to mark the Year of the Fire Horse.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan predicted the nine-day mainland holiday (15–23 February) could bring 1.43 million mainland visitors, about six per cent above last year’s so-called Golden Week. Local tour operators have booked some 2,200 inbound groups, dwarfing Labour-Day and National-Day peaks in 2025.
![377,000 Visitors Flood Hong Kong on First Day of Mainland Spring-Festival Golden Week]()
For anyone still sorting out travel documents, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) provides a quick, step-by-step guide to visa requirements for over 200 nationalities and can expedite applications—an invaluable service when flights, hotels and border crossings are filling up as fast as they are this week.
To keep people moving, boundary-control points at Lok Ma Chau, Huanggang and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge are maintaining round-the-clock operations, while the MTR Corporation has added overnight rail services and extra East Rail frequencies. Industry analysts say the influx is a crucial stress-test of Hong Kong’s post-pandemic transport infrastructure and a barometer for retail rents, which have already crept up on expectations of sustained tourist demand.
Corporate travel planners should note that hotel occupancy in core districts has topped 90 per cent and same-day Shenzhen shuttle tickets are selling out by mid-morning. Advisories recommend scheduling cross-border meetings later in the week, when outbound traffic traditionally thins.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan predicted the nine-day mainland holiday (15–23 February) could bring 1.43 million mainland visitors, about six per cent above last year’s so-called Golden Week. Local tour operators have booked some 2,200 inbound groups, dwarfing Labour-Day and National-Day peaks in 2025.
For anyone still sorting out travel documents, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) provides a quick, step-by-step guide to visa requirements for over 200 nationalities and can expedite applications—an invaluable service when flights, hotels and border crossings are filling up as fast as they are this week.
To keep people moving, boundary-control points at Lok Ma Chau, Huanggang and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge are maintaining round-the-clock operations, while the MTR Corporation has added overnight rail services and extra East Rail frequencies. Industry analysts say the influx is a crucial stress-test of Hong Kong’s post-pandemic transport infrastructure and a barometer for retail rents, which have already crept up on expectations of sustained tourist demand.
Corporate travel planners should note that hotel occupancy in core districts has topped 90 per cent and same-day Shenzhen shuttle tickets are selling out by mid-morning. Advisories recommend scheduling cross-border meetings later in the week, when outbound traffic traditionally thins.
