Hotels almost fully booked for Golden Week holiday

During Hong Kong's National Day Golden Week holiday, which runs from October 1 to 7, hotels catering to smaller and medium-sized establishments are nearly fully booked. According to Timothy Chui, executive director of Hong Kong Tourism Association, this surge in bookings is partly due to the holiday's proximity to the Mid-Autumn Festival. The tourism sector representative spoke about the trend on an RTHK radio programme.

Chui mentioned that mainland travelers are anticipated to flock to Hong Kong in greater numbers compared to previous years, thanks to the extended holiday. If mainland visitors took three days off after the Mid-Autumn Festival, they could potentially enjoy a 13-day break in the region. On average, visitors are expected to stay for two nights in the city.

The Golden Week holiday is expected to draw a larger crowd to Hong Kong, benefiting not only the tourism sector but also related industries. Simon Wong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, forecasted that businesses would see HK$3 billion passed through their shops between the onset of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the end of the Golden Week holiday, with daily totals averaging HK$250 million. Chinese restaurants may experience a 10-15% increase in business during the period.

To accommodate the influx of mainland visitors, bus services have been increased, with some buses now operating as frequently as every five to 10 minutes, up from previous intervals of 15 to 20 minutes. Freeman Cheung, vice president of the Hong Kong Guangdong Boundary Crossing Bus Association, estimated that more than 30,000 mainland visitors would travel to the SAR via Shenzhen Bay port. To handle the increased demand, companies have bolstered manpower by assigning additional backup drivers.