20th September 2023 – (Hong Kong) The Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau of Hong Kong held a meeting today to follow up on the preparation work for the upcoming National Day Golden Week, a week-long holiday in mainland China. The meeting, hosted by the Secretary for Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Mr. Kevin Yeung, brought together representatives from various government departments including Hong Kong Customs, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Transport Department, and several tourism-related organizations.
According to a government spokesperson, the relevant parties will continue to maintain close communication regarding the flow of people during the National Day Golden Week and coordinate efforts to ensure smooth arrivals of visitors to Hong Kong. Mr. Yeung emphasized that the government will closely monitor visitor arrivals during this period and adjust coordination efforts accordingly. Government departments and relevant organizations will cooperate proactively and provide necessary assistance.
The National Day Golden Week coincides with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and will feature major events across different locations in Hong Kong, including the National Day Fireworks Display, Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, and the Urban Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival. To ensure a quality experience for tourists, relevant government departments and the trade will enhance crowd management measures.
During the National Day Golden Week, government departments will strengthen manpower and coordination of transport and cross-boundary services at control points. This includes crowd management arrangements, increased coach parking provisions, and enhanced transport frequency. The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre, comprising Customs, the Police Force, the Immigration Department, and other agencies, will be activated to monitor the situation at land control points and maintain close liaison with Mainland counterparts.
District Offices will closely monitor visitor flows within their respective districts and implement management measures accordingly. Major tourist attractions will also put in place crowd control measures during this period. The Travel Industry Authority (TIA) has been reminding travel agents to stagger the arrival times of Mainland inbound tour groups and urging them to implement appropriate measures for orderly visitor and coach management. The TIA will deploy additional manpower to conduct inspections in districts with a higher concentration of registered shops for inbound tour groups, provide assistance to visitors and tourist guides, and strengthen enforcement to combat unfair trade practices.
The Tourism Commission has been in communication with Mainland tourism authorities regarding the arrival of Mainland visitors. They have also provided hotlines of relevant local organisations to Mainland inbound group visitors through the Mainland tourism authorities.
The Immigration Department will upload daily arrival figures for each control point on its website, and visitors can check the estimated waiting time at each land boundary control point through the Immigration Mobile Application.
In case of emergencies, Mainland inbound tour group visitors, tour escorts, and local tourist guides can seek assistance from the TIA’s service hotline. Visitors can contact the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s hotline for inquiries or complaints, and the Consumer Council’s hotline for further assistance.