Mid-Autumn holiday sees 2.78 million entries and exits by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents, foreshadowing Golden Week rush

China’s National Immigration Administration reported 6.71 million inbound and outbound trips during the 25-27 September Mid-Autumn Festival break—up 16.8 per cent year-on-year. Of these, 2.775 million were made by residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, representing a robust 27.7 per cent surge. The data confirm that cross-border travel appetite has fully recovered to pre-pandemic momentum, providing an empirical baseline for Hong Kong’s own Golden Week preparations. Average daily crossings hit 2.236 million, with a single-day peak of 2.342 million on 26 September—a figure officials believe could be eclipsed over the upcoming National Day holiday. For mobility professionals, the spike underscores the importance of real-time clearance data and contingency routing. Airlines operating shuttle flights between Hong Kong and second-tier mainland cities reported load factors above 95 per cent, while coach operators on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge doubled services to cope with demand. Interestingly, 247,000 foreign nationals entered China visa-free during the same period, a 32.7 per cent rise that reflects Beijing’s gradual expansion of unilateral visa-exemption policies. Hong Kong-based multinationals may find it easier to orchestrate regional meetings on the mainland as more staff can now enter without prior consular visits. Analysts at CBRE note that sustained two-way traffic during both Mid-Autumn and National Day will support retail rental growth in cross-boundary shopping zones such as Lo Wu Commercial City and Tsim Sha Tsui. However, they caution that surging pedestrian flow could strain checkpoint infrastructure, reiterating the value of e-Channel enrolment for frequent travellers.