Almost 440,000 mainland tourists entered Hong Kong over Mid-Autumn weekend, industry braces for higher National Day surge

Data released on 28 September show that 439,532 mainland Chinese visitors crossed into Hong Kong between Friday and Sunday of the Mid-Autumn Festival weekend, accounting for roughly one-quarter of all inbound trips during the three-day holiday. Tourism representatives told the South China Morning Post that hotel occupancy in prime districts already exceeded 90 per cent, and they expect even tighter room supply once National Day celebrations begin on 1 October. The influx provides a welcome boost to retailers and F&B outlets that have been grappling with a strong Hong Kong dollar and sluggish local spending. According to the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, average daily sales at flagship malls in Causeway Bay rose 18 per cent year-on-year during the festival period. However, the surge also strained infrastructure. At the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus, queues for mainland e-Gates reached 40 minutes at peak times despite additional staff deployments. Ride-hailing wait times in Tsim Sha Tsui averaged 25 minutes, prompting the Transport Department to issue temporary taxi-stand permits near major hotels. From a mobility-programme perspective, companies hosting regional meetings should anticipate higher accommodation costs and consider booking room blocks or shifting events to the following week. HR teams are also advised to brief mainland visitors on updated health-declaration QR codes and the optional electronic arrival card that speeds up airport processing. With the Immigration Department predicting 1.29 million mainland arrivals for the upcoming ‘golden week’, the Mid-Autumn figures are viewed as a dress rehearsal, allowing authorities and businesses to fine-tune crowd-management and service-delivery plans.