The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (October 8) announced that the seven-day National Day Golden Week of the Mainland (October 1 to 7) concluded smoothly yesterday (October 7). A total of around 1.6 million inbound visitors were recorded. Among them, Mainland visitors accounted for more than 1.41 million, which exceeds the number of Mainland visitors recorded at the eight-day National Day Golden Week of the Mainland last year. The arrangements for the reception of visitors proceeded in an orderly manner, with bustling crowds creating a lively atmosphere in the city that boosted business across various industries.

     Mr Chan said, "This year's National Day Golden Week of the Mainland offered a variety of vibrant activities. The National Day fireworks display, the National Day Raceday and other events held on October 1 were well received by members of the public and visitors. At the same time, the Government and different sectors of the community launched a rich array of special offers and activities, covering public transport; culture, arts and leisure; as well as dining and consumption, to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China with the public. These activities effectively attracted crowds and stimulated consumption, with retail sector indicating that consumer spending in various retail categories saw single-digit to double-digit growth year-on-year, while the catering sector also indicated that businesses in tourist areas increased by about 10 per cent. The Government will continue to work hand in hand with the industry to promote diversified tourism products and projects, creating an all-round and in-depth tourism experience for visitors and continuously injecting momentum into the local economy."

Visitor flow, situation at control points, and traffic and public transport arrangements
　　
     During the seven-day National Day Golden Week of the Mainland, the daily average number of Mainland visitors was around 202 000. The arrival of Mainland visitors peaked on October 1, with around 277 000 visitors. During the Golden Week, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point received the highest number of Mainland visitors, followed by the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point. 

     To cope with the increased passenger flows during the Golden Week, relevant departments deployed additional manpower. The Immigration Department opened additional counters, temporary counters and vehicle clearance kiosks in advance at land boundary control points (BCPs) to facilitate passenger and vehicular flows. The Security Bureau activated the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre during the holidays to closely monitor and co-ordinate public order across various districts, including various BCPs. The overall operation of the control points and traffic were smooth and orderly.

     The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the Transport Department (TD) operated round the clock at an escalated tier to holistically monitor traffic and public transport conditions across the city and at BCPs, major stations and various tourist hotspots. The TD steered local and cross-boundary public transport operators (PTOs) to step up their carrying capacity, including enhancing MTR train services to and from Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau Stations, strengthening Express Rail Link train services to and from Futian, Shenzhenbei and Beijingxi Stations, enhancing cross-boundary coach services, increasing the frequency of bus services connecting land BCPs and increasing the capacity of inner-harbour ferry services for the convenience of residents and visitors. PTOs also deployed additional staff to maintain order and reserved sufficient vehicles and manpower to further enhance services when necessary. Overall traffic conditions were generally smooth during the Golden Week.

Mega events and major tourist attractions

     The National Day Fireworks Display over Victoria Harbour on October 1 attracted over 378 000 spectators. The event concluded with effective crowd control arrangements and was well-received by locals and tourists. The National Day Raceday at Sha Tin Racecourse attracted nearly 30 000 attendees, including over 9 300 tourists. The Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival 2026 and International Lantern Spectacular held at Victoria Park saw an enthusiastic response. The event period was extended twice, drawing a total of around 730 000 visitors.

     Visitors to Hong Kong during the National Day Golden Week were spread across different tourist attractions in the city, including theme parks, the Peak, Ngong Ping, Avenue of Stars, etc. Overall visitor flow was high and crowd management work was smooth and effective.

     At East Dam of the High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung, various departments took measures to control traffic, increase the frequency of minibuses, publish visitor flow information, and strengthen cleaning services as needed according to the plan formulated before the Golden Week. As regards the public transport service, upon the TD's advanced deployment and co-ordination, the operator of Green Minibus route No. 9A enhanced services plying the route between Pak Tam Chung and East Dam of High Island Reservoir in response to passenger demand and traffic conditions during the Golden Week. Overall services were generally smooth. Moreover, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) piloted a reservation system for the Po Pin Chau section and deployed additional staff at the viewing platform, as well as using drones for patrols and public announcements. Visitors complied with on-site staff instructions, and the pedestrian flow was smooth and orderly.

     As for the campsites at Ham Tin Wan, Sai Wan and Long Ke Wan, the AFCD and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) conducted joint operations to keep the campsites and the Ham Tin Public Toilet clean, and deployed staff to conduct day-and-night patrols, with stationed personnel reminding campers of camping etiquette and regulations. The usage, hygiene and orderliness of the various campsites were generally good. The AFCD also strengthened publicity and education along Sections 1 and 2 of the MacLehose Trail and at designated campsites nearby.  

     At Sharp Island and the Shui Hau sandflat on Lantau Island, the AFCD and other departments strengthened patrols, using drones to assist in monitoring coastal areas. They also conducted public education activities jointly with WWF-Hong Kong and the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation respectively, to promote marine conservation messages to visitors. To strengthen coral conservation at Sharp Island, the AFCD deployed additional staff to remind visitors not to damage, disturb, feed or collect marine life. Snorkelling and kayaking guides were also deployed to patrol nearshore areas and remind snorkellers to enter and exit the water via coral-friendly routes to avoid accidentally stepping on corals.

Inbound tour groups and hotel occupancy rates

     In terms of Mainland inbound tour groups, around 1 140 Mainland inbound tour groups brought over 41 000 visitors to Hong Kong during the seven-day National Day Golden Week, with around 60 per cent engaged in overnight itineraries. The general order was good, and the overall hotel occupancy rate reached 90 per cent.

     Mr Chan was pleased to note that the series of festive events and special offers in celebration of the National Day were well received. He expressed gratitude to relevant government departments, organisations, and industry partners for their collaborative efforts and close co-ordination in receiving visitors, providing citizens and visitors with a joyful National Day holiday.

Ends/Thursday, October 8, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:40

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