Over 1.41 Million Mainland Visitors Arrive During 7-Day National Day Golden Week, Outpacing Last Year
Bastillepost · 7 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago6 MIN
Summary
The 7-day National Day Golden Week in mainland China has concluded, with Hong Kong welcoming over 1.41 million mainland visitor arrivals across the period. According to figures released by the inter-departmental task force led by Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Tang-kwong (陳國基), total visitor numbers reached approximately 1.6 million, with mainland arrivals exceeding 1.41 million — surpassing last year's figure despite the shorter duration (2025's Golden Week ran for 8 days). Daily average arrivals stood at about 202,000, with October 1 National Day recording the peak of approximately 277,000 arrivals. The most popular entry points were the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and the West Kowloon Station of the Express Rail Link.
Key Points
- The National Day fireworks display over Victoria Harbour attracted over 378,000 spectators, while the National Day Horse Race Day at Sha Tin Racecourse drew nearly 30,000 attendees including over 9,300 visitors .
- A total of approximately 1,140 inbound mainland tour groups comprising over 41,000 visitors participated, with about 60 percent being overnight guests, and hotel occupancy rates generally reached 90 percent .
- The Leisure and Cultural Services Department's lantern carnivals at Victoria Park extended twice and attracted approximately 730,000 visitors, becoming one of the most popular events of the holiday .
- Retail sectors recorded single to double-digit year-on-year growth in sales, while the dining industry saw approximately 10 percent business growth in tourist areas, according to industry representatives .
- Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Grace Luo Shupei (羅淑佩) expressed confidence in achieving the annual visitor target of 53.8 million, noting that mainland arrivals during Golden Week exceeded expectations .
Why It Matters
The strong performance during National Day Golden Week signals a robust recovery trajectory for Hong Kong's tourism sector, with visitor numbers and spending exceeding expectations despite economic headwinds. The success of mega-events like the fireworks display demonstrates Hong Kong's capacity to attract large-scale crowds when well-coordinated promotional efforts are in place, validating the government's strategy of combining cultural events with consumer incentives to stimulate economic activity across retail, dining and hospitality sectors .
The strong performance during National Day Golden Week signals a robust recovery trajectory for Hong Kong's tourism sector, with visitor numbers and spending exceeding expectations despite economic headwinds. The success of mega-events like the fireworks display demonstrates Hong Kong's capacity to attract large-scale crowds when well-coordinated promotional efforts are in place, validating the government's strategy of combining cultural events with consumer incentives to stimulate economic activity across retail, dining and hospitality sectors .