Hong Kong’s border agencies are preparing for the busiest Labour Day ‘golden week’ since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted. At an inter-departmental meeting on 20 April, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki revealed that the Immigration Department expects about 980,000 inbound trips from mainland China between 1 and 5 May—7 percent more than last year. The city will activate a joint command centre linking the Immigration Department, Police, Customs & Excise and transport operators to monitor passenger volumes in real time. Extra staff will be deployed at all seven land crossings, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and both airports, while the MTR will add East Rail Line frequency and shuttle-bus operators will run services as frequently as once every minute at the busiest checkpoints. Crowd-management plans target popular leisure areas such as Sai Kung East Country Park. Uniformed police officers will control vehicular access, and minibus operator GMB Route 9A will run an enhanced schedule. Authorities have also asked travel agencies to stagger tour-group itineraries and use the provisional visitor e-channel system to ease congestion.
![Hong Kong braces for record 980,000 mainland arrivals over Labour Day Golden Week]()
For travellers looking to get their paperwork in order ahead of the rush, VisaHQ can simplify the process of securing visas for mainland China or Hong Kong. Its digital platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides real-time requirement updates, online applications and document courier services, allowing visitors to obtain the necessary permits efficiently before they reach the border.
For businesses, the surge underscores the rebound of intra-Greater Bay mobility. Retailers and theme-park operators are hiring temporary staff, while hoteliers report occupancy close to 90 percent for the holiday week. Corporate travellers should anticipate longer clearance times at Lok Ma Chau and Shenzhen Bay and are advised to pre-book car permits under the northbound ‘Guangdong-Hong Kong car quota’ scheme. In the longer term, sustained growth in two-way flows will test Hong Kong’s immigration infrastructure. The government plans to automate another 200 e-gates by year-end and is negotiating with Shenzhen to pilot a “single-checkpoint” concept that would allow travellers to complete both Hong Kong and mainland formalities in one hall—a model officials hope to roll out before the 2027 Asian Games.
For travellers looking to get their paperwork in order ahead of the rush, VisaHQ can simplify the process of securing visas for mainland China or Hong Kong. Its digital platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides real-time requirement updates, online applications and document courier services, allowing visitors to obtain the necessary permits efficiently before they reach the border.
For businesses, the surge underscores the rebound of intra-Greater Bay mobility. Retailers and theme-park operators are hiring temporary staff, while hoteliers report occupancy close to 90 percent for the holiday week. Corporate travellers should anticipate longer clearance times at Lok Ma Chau and Shenzhen Bay and are advised to pre-book car permits under the northbound ‘Guangdong-Hong Kong car quota’ scheme. In the longer term, sustained growth in two-way flows will test Hong Kong’s immigration infrastructure. The government plans to automate another 200 e-gates by year-end and is negotiating with Shenzhen to pilot a “single-checkpoint” concept that would allow travellers to complete both Hong Kong and mainland formalities in one hall—a model officials hope to roll out before the 2027 Asian Games.
