Hong Kong is set to welcome about 840,000 mainland visitors – about a 10 per cent year-on-year increase – over the five-day “golden week” holidays starting on Thursday, according to the city’s financial chief, with many residents also set to enjoy the long weekend by taking the Friday off.
The Post takes a look at events popping up on both sides of Victoria Harbour, from a themed drone show to an outdoor music festival to the famed bun scrambling competition in Cheung Chau.
1. How many tour groups are visiting Hong Kong?
Travel Industry Council executive director Fanny Yeung Shuk-fun is optimistic that the number of mainland tour groups will see a year-on-year increase of at least an estimated 10 per cent, reaching about 600 during the period or about 18,000 visitors.
“There’s been a steady rise since the end of the pandemic,” Yeung said, adding that this was the first golden week in May after the opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park and the twin panda cubs at Ocean Park, both of which were big draws for tourists.
But she conceded that the number of tour groups could depend on the weather, especially for those coming into the city from areas closer to the border, where travellers could sign up at the last minute.
“Of the five days of ‘golden week’, would people come from the third day? We’d have to see what the weather is like on the first two days. Of course, these are tour groups within the Guangdong province. They don’t book very early in advance,” she said.
