High-speed railway has emerged as a preferred transportation option for Lunar New Year travel among Hongkongers due to its convenience and cost-effectiveness.
Tours to popular cities like Zhangjiajie and Guilin are experiencing near-full bookings, according to the tourism sector.
However, the number of available tours may be lower than during Christmas, as some travel agencies struggle to secure enough railway tickets amid the mainland’s travel rush for the Lunar New Year.
The MTRC is closely monitoring the train schedule during the festival period and maintaining close communication with relevant mainland departments.
Yau Moon-yee, assistant general manager at Sunflower Travel Services, noted a strong demand for high-speed rail tours to destinations such as Zhangjiajie, Guilin, and Chaoshan, with itineraries for some cities nearly fully booked.
High-speed railway tours are particularly attractive compared to air travel, as they eliminate airport taxes and fuel surcharges.
“High-speed railway tours are especially suitable for short or medium-haul trips, and the frequency during the Lunar New Year period meets the needs of families and the elderly,” Yau said.
Meanwhile, travel agencies catering to mainland inbound tours anticipate that horse racing and panda tourism will attract 20 to 30 percent more mainland visitors to Hong Kong.
Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, expects the industry to respond positively to government initiatives promoting horse race tourism, including arranging inbound tours to racecourses during the Lunar New Year.
Chui said that a trip to Luoyang, Henan, will take seven to eight hours, including transfers in Shenzhen and an early arrival at the airport.
This duration is comparable to taking the high-speed railway from Hong Kong.
Also, the price of a direct flight ticket from Hong Kong to Xi’an during the Lunar New Year has surged to HK$5,000, nearly five times the cost of a high-speed rail ticket.
Also, Eternal East Cross-Border Coach Management forecasts a year-on-year increase of about 10 to 15 percent in sales of cross-border buses during the Lunar New Year.
(Stacy Shi)