Mainland tourists to HK surge in Golden Week

Data shows that Chinese mainland tourists traveling to Hong Kong saw a notable increase in the weeklong National Day holidays, which concluded on Monday, than the Golden Week last year, suggesting Hong Kong's sustained attraction and vitality.  

Flight bookings to Hong Kong during the holidays went up 80 percent year-on-year. Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Haikou are the top five cities of source of travelers to Hong Kong, according to a press release sent to the Global Times by Qunar, one of leading online travel agencies in China.

More than 980,000 mainland visitors arrived in Hong Kong between October 1-5, up 35 percent from the same period last year, according to the Immigration Department of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Sunday, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency.

More than 220,000 mainland visitors arrived in Hong Kong on October 1, National Day, alone, a significant increase compared with about 177,000 on the same day last year.

The figures reflect the popularity of various activities held by the HKSAR government, and also show that Hong Kong still has its attractiveness, Benson Kwok, director of Immigration of the HKSAR government told the media.

The director also expects the total number of arrivals and departures to reach 300 million by the end of this year.

More than 400 activities were held in Hong Kong around the time of the National Day, filling the city with joy, according to Xinhua.

About 3,600 restaurants, some cinemas, and various public transportation in Hong Kong also offered discounts on October 1, and there were also free admissions to many museums and parks.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum has extended its opening hours during the Golden Week, according to its official website.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Hong Kong Space Museum, and the Hong Kong Museum of History also presented special exhibitions introducing China's past and present.

A Beijing resident surnamed Guan told the Global Times that she visited Hong Kong during the National Day holidays in the hope of avoiding crowds at mainland sightseeing spots, only to find there were many people who had similar plans.But the experience was still delightful as Guan very enjoyed city walks, local snacks and the view of the Victoria Harbor.

Guan and her friend also went for a two-day hiking of one section of the MacLehose Trail, which is gaining increasing popularity among mainland travelers against the backdrop of an outdoor sports maze.