Hong Kong’s Immigration Department data released on 26 September show that the city handled just over 1.10 million passenger movements on Friday, 25 September, the eve of the Mid-Autumn public holiday. Of these, 655,000 were departures and 445,000 were arrivals. Mainland-bound traffic dominated: 479,000 Hong Kong residents left the city, with 388,000 (up 60 percent on the same day last year) using the city’s land control points to enter Shenzhen or Zhuhai. Lo Wu was the single busiest checkpoint, processing 116,000 outbound residents, followed by Lok Ma Chau Spur Line (87,000) and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (52,000). Airport departures accounted for 31,000. Inbound tourism also showed momentum. Some 169,000 Mainland visitors arrived—nearly 30 percent higher than the 2025 comparator—boosted by simplified e-visa renewals and new same-day high-speed rail frequencies between Guangzhou South and West Kowloon. West Kowloon station alone welcomed 40,000 Mainland arrivals, underscoring the role of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link in the region’s mobility network. To alleviate bottlenecks over the long weekend, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation has increased train length on the East Rail Line, while the Immigration Department has redeployed 200 auxiliary officers to land checkpoints. Travellers holding the new Seamless e-Channel QR code can expect clearance times of under 20 seconds, though first-time users must still pre-register at designated counters. For HR teams, the data highlight the need to track employee whereabouts during Hong Kong holidays when cross-border commuting is common. Staff using Home Return Permits must ensure their travel insurance covers Mainland medical costs, and expatriate dependants travelling on foreign passports should note that Shenzhen requires at least six months’ passport validity even under the 144-hour visa-free scheme.
Source: DotDotNews
