The Spring Festival holiday ended yesterday (Feb. 22). As of 9 pm last night, the Immigration Department recorded a total of 1,022,000 entries and exits through various checkpoints, with over 634,000 people entering. The Mainland's Spring Festival holiday also concludes today, with approximately 1.02 million mainland visitors arriving in Hong Kong from the 29th day of the lunar calendar to the fifth day, representing a 13% year-on-year increase.
Hong Kong's various tourist hotspots were very popular during the Chinese New Year period, with the A Cinematic Journey exhibition at Yau Ma Tei Police Station being particularly crowded. Our reporter observed on-site yesterday that visitors waiting to take photos at the entrance formed lines that took nearly half an hour. Additionally, over 50 people queued outside the gift shop, waiting to enter, with popular souvenirs like police panda plush toys and police badge magnets temporarily sold out.
Today marks the last day of the Mainland's nine-day Spring Festival holiday. From the 29th day of the lunar calendar to the fifth day, a total of about 1.02 million mainland tourists entered Hong Kong, up 13% year-on-year. Many travelers seized the opportunity to visit Hong Kong, with some traveling during the quieter last few days of the holiday. By 9 pm last night, nearly 190,000 visitors had entered, over 165,000 of whom were from the Mainland.
During the Chinese New Year, various tourist attractions in Hong Kong saw large crowds, including the popular Cinematic Journey exhibition at Yau Ma Tei Police Station. The ticketing website showed that most visiting time slots had sold out in advance during the holiday, resulting in full attendance almost every day. Those without tickets were also continuously arriving to take pictures at the entrance. Ms. Li from Shantou told the reporter that she grew up watching Hong Kong films and dramas. Although she couldn't get a ticket to enter, waiting nearly half an hour for a photo was worth it and satisfying.
Buying Tickets in Advance
Ms. Zhou from Fujian expressed that the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year was more than she had imagined. She and her family stayed in Hong Kong for three days, visiting various attractions such as Victoria Harbour, The Peak, and the West Kowloon Cultural District, with Yau Ma Tei Police Station being a must-visit spot. They planned to buy tickets over half a month in advance. Mr. Zhao from Jiangxi successfully purchased tickets to enter. He said that characters from several Hong Kong films, like "A Better Tomorrow," are deeply ingrained in people's minds, and this visit finally allowed him to fulfill his dream of experiencing Hong Kong cinema, noting that the scenes felt very realistic.
Many visitors flocked to the Hong Kong Police gift shop nearby to buy souvenirs. At around 3 pm yesterday, over 50 people were queuing outside the shop, while only a limited number of shoppers were allowed inside. Staff indicated that the best-selling items included police badge magnets, badges, and stuffed panda and police dog toys, with many styles temporarily sold out. Over 90% of the customers during the holiday were tourists, with most spending around HK$200.
Average Stay of Over Three Nights
Moreover, the crowd at various tourist attractions in Hong Kong remained high yesterday. The Tourism Board's website indicated that there were 30 to 60 minutes of waiting time for the Peak Tram from Central to The Peak, and over 60 minutes for the Central Ferris Wheel, with similar wait times exceeding 60 minutes for Ngong Ping 360 from Ngong Ping to Tung Chung.
The Chairman of the Travel Industry Council, Tommy Tam, noted that from the 28th day of the lunar calendar to the fourth day, there was an 8% increase in the number of visitors to Hong Kong. He forecasted that during the entire Golden Week, there would be about a 10% year-on-year growth in both Mainland and overseas visitors, with an average stay of over three nights. He mentioned that the overall increase in tourist numbers was linked to the appeal of Spring Festival activities and indicated that horse racing tourism saw surprising growth. "Travelers enjoy watching it because it's lively and exciting; the atmosphere of so many people entering together makes it an enjoyable experience. They can also learn more about horse racing and its history," he suggested, proposing that organized tours could further attract visitors.
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