‘Golden week’ tourism in Hong Kong: 1 million mainland Chinese visitors expected for National Day break, but how long will they stay?
Strong foreign and domestic competition for tourist dollar and weak renminbi set to shorten trips of travellers from across borderIndustry members still upbeat as coming eight-day break will be the first such stretch since country lifted pandemic curbsHong Kong tourismLaura WestbrookandWynna WongPublished: 9:00am, 29 Sep, 2023Why you can trust SCMP
Hong Kong is expected to welcome about 1 million mainland Chinese visitors during the National Day “golden week” break, but experts have said travellers are planning shorter trips amid fierce regional competition for tourism and a weakened renminbi.
The holiday period for mainlanders runs from September 29 until October 6, overlapping with the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is the first such stretch since the country’s pivot from tough Covid-19 policies.
Experts on Wednesday said most of those crossing the border into the city – comprising mainly individual travellers – were expected only to stay for the weekend instead of the full eight-day span. Observers point to a weakened renminbi, making the Hong Kong dollar more expensive for visitors.
Fanny Yeung Shuk-fan, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, estimated some 1 million mainland tourists would visit the city, marking 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.