Manpower at control points to be stepped up during National Day Golden Week

A government spokesperson announced today (Sept. 20) that following an initial interdepartmental meeting held by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) on Aug. 23 to coordinate the preparations for receiving visitors during the Mainland's National Day Golden Week, another meeting also took place today to follow up on the preparations, including arrangements for managing the flow of travelers.

Kevin Yeung, Secretary for CSTB, stated that the SAR government has been closely monitoring the situation of Mainland visitors during the National Day Golden Week, maintaining close contact with all relevant government departments, related institutions, and the tourism industry to manage the flow of travelers effectively and provide them with a pleasant travel experience, reflecting Hong Kong's charm as a city of perpetual tourism.

During the National Day Golden Week, government departments will strengthen manpower at all ports of entry and coordinate transportation and customs services, including enhanced crowd management and increased transport frequencies. If necessary, police will make appropriate traffic arrangements, including setting up designated lanes on Xinshen Road leading to the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port of Entry.

A multi-department joint command center, comprising Customs, Police, and Immigration, will be activated during the Golden Week to monitor the situation at all land border control stations and maintain close contact with Mainland authorities to take timely contingency measures.

The Transport Department's emergency incident traffic coordination center will operate 24 hours a day, monitoring traffic conditions in various districts, including ports and major stations, disseminating the latest traffic information through various channels, and taking timely response measures.

District offices will also closely monitor the flow of travelers in their districts during the Golden Week and enhance management at relevant locations as needed. Major tourist attractions will also implement crowd control measures.

The Travel Industry Authority (TIA) has been reminding travel agents responsible for hosting Mainland inbound tour groups to stagger their arrival times and urging travel agents, shops, and restaurants hosting these groups to take appropriate measures to manage the order of travelers and tour buses.

The TIA will deploy additional staff to patrol areas with a high concentration of registered shops for inbound tour groups and provide assistance to travelers and guides to protect the rights of these tourists. Customs will also intensify patrols in shops serving travelers to combat unscrupulous business practices.

Earlier on Sept. 9, representatives from various government departments and the TIA visited the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier and nearby piers providing Victoria Harbor cruise services to inspect and optimize crowd management arrangements. They also visited registered shops and dining places in the Kowloon City District frequented by inbound tour groups to remind all parties to coordinate and manage the flow of people effectively.

The TIA has been in contact with Mainland tourism departments about the situation of Mainland visitors to Hong Kong and has provided hotline numbers of local relevant institutions to Mainland tour group travelers through Mainland tourism departments.

The Immigration Department uploads the daily entry figures of each control station to its website. Travelers can check the estimated waiting times at land border control stations through the Immigration Department's mobile app.

During the National Day Golden Week, Mainland tour group travelers, group leaders, or local guides facing emergencies can call the Travel Industry Council's hotline at 3698 5900 for assistance (Oct. 1 to Oct. 7: service hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.); for inquiries or complaints, travelers can call the Tourism Board's hotline at 2508 1234 (Oct. 1 to Oct. 7: service hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.), or the Consumer Council's hotline at 2929 2222 (Oct. 2 to Oct. 4 and Oct. 7: service hours from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.).

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