Immigration Department predicts 7.44 million border crossings as Hong Kong braces for National Day ‘golden week’

Hong Kong’s Immigration Department has forecast that 7.44 million passenger movements will pass through the city’s sea, land and air checkpoints between 1 and 7 October – the mainland’s National Day ‘golden week’. The projection, released on 28 September and echoed in a South China Morning Post report the same evening, represents the highest holiday traffic since borders fully reopened in early 2025. Roughly 6.31 million of the trips are expected at land boundary control points, with Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and Shenzhen Bay each handling well over 150,000 passengers a day. Despite the surge, authorities said opening hours would not be extended; instead, travellers are urged to consult the ‘Easy Boundary’ real-time waiting-time app and to pre-register for automated e-Channel clearance. Airlines and cross-boundary bus operators have already added extra services, while hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai report occupancy above 90 per cent. For multinational employers, the numbers signal both opportunity and risk. Retail and F&B groups forecast double-digit sales growth, yet mobility managers warn that congestion could delay assignees flying in for regional conferences scheduled for the first week of October. “We’re staggering arrival dates and reminding staff to use the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge port where queues are shorter,” said Gary Wong, APAC travel head for a European pharmaceutical firm. The golden-week surge also tests Hong Kong’s new clearance technologies. The pilot ‘seamless e-Channel’ at the HZMB port and facial-recognition lanes at West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus will handle holiday traffic at full capacity for the first time. Immigration officers have been redeployed from back-office duties to man additional advisory counters, and QR-code self-declaration kiosks have been installed for mainland visitors carrying duty-free goods. Businesses are advised to file cross-boundary permit applications early and to budget extra transit time, particularly if staff must cross the Lo Wu pedestrian bridge during peak hours. Cargo operators should also note that truck flows will be capped on 1 and 7 October to prioritise passenger buses, potentially impacting just-in-time deliveries.