With the week-long National Day Golden Week holiday just a fortnight away, Chief Executive John Lee announced a multi-agency action plan on Tuesday aimed at smoothing the flow of what could be the largest influx of mainland tourists since 2019. Speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said the Security Bureau will activate its Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre to provide real-time data on passenger volumes at all land, sea and air checkpoints. Additional immigration counters will be opened at the Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau and West Kowloon High-Speed Rail terminals, while e-Channel maintenance work has been suspended to maximise throughput. To protect visitors from aggressive sales tactics, the Travel Industry Authority (TIA) will run spot inspections and has warned that licences of tour guides and registered “shopping points” can be revoked on the spot for forced-shopping violations. The announcement follows the suspension of two agencies and one guide last week—the third such enforcement action this year—which drew criticism from mainland social media users and raised reputational risks for Hong Kong’s tourism sector. Crowd-management technology will also be deployed at popular scenic areas. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will extend its real-name online reservation system—successfully piloted this month at the Po Pin Chau section of the High Island Geo-Trail—so that day-trippers can pre-book time slots, reducing bottlenecks and environmental damage. Major attractions such as Disneyland, Ocean Park and the Palace Museum will publish queue times and extended operating hours on a new government portal updated every 30 minutes. Retailers catering to mainland package tours are bracing for a sharp uptick in traffic. Industry groups say some jewellery and cosmetics outlets have doubled inventories and rehired part-time staff for the period 29 September to 6 October. Corporate travel planners should factor in longer airport-to-hotel transfer times and advise employees to schedule meetings away from shopping hotspots such as Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay. Lee urged residents to “show Hong Kong’s best hospitality”, stressing that a seamless Golden Week is vital to sustaining visitor momentum into Q4 and to reinforcing confidence among mainland tour operators deciding next season’s itineraries.
Source: The Standard
