Hong Kong tourist attractions overflow with mainland visitors during holiday

A significant influx of mainland tourists has filled Hong Kong’s top attractions, as queues stretched for hours outside the Peak Tram ticket office at Central. According to a staff member, many visitors resorted to waiting over two hours for a tram ticket to the Peak.

This surge of visitors is attributed to the mainland’s five-day holiday, which commenced on Saturday. Hong Kong’s Immigration Department revealed that around 407,000 inbound tourists were recorded on April 30, with 156,000 of them coming from mainland China.

New landmarks quickly gained popularity among crowds at various tourist hotspots. The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) reported an all-time high of nearly 7,300 guests on April 30, since its opening in July of the previous year.

To accommodate the increased tourist traffic, several attractions extended their operating hours. For example, the Ngong Ping Cable Car, which connects downtown Tung Chung with Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, began operating as early as 9am. Additionally, the HKPM and M+ Museum remained open yesterday and today.

An hour before Hong Kong Disneyland opened its gates on Saturday at 9am, lines had already formed at the entrance. Among the visitors were Nie and his family from Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu province. Having last visited the theme park three years ago, Nie expressed his excitement to experience more attractions this time around, given that his family of three are all avid fans of Disneyland.

In recent times, the travelling preferences of tourists have evolved to encompass more than shopping and dining. Many travellers now express an interest in delving deeper into a destination’s cultural aspects. Paul Chan, CEO and co-founder of Walk in Hong Kong, a local enterprise offering immersive tours, stated that tourists increasingly seek in-depth cultural experiences while travelling, aiming to explore lesser-known facets of Hong Kong.

Echoing this sentiment, Tian, a visitor from Guangzhou in south China’s Guangdong province, shared her intention to “slow down” and become more acquainted with Hong Kong’s cultural heritage. During her trip, she opted for a tram route tour of Hong Kong Island, seeking out classic film locations from Hong Kong’s cinematic history.

To ensure a pleasurable experience for all tourists, various agencies of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) joined forces during the holiday period. This involved monitoring circumstances at land control points and implementing suitable diversion measures when required.

In addition, the Hong Kong Travel Industry Authority implemented particular measures, such as inspections of popular attractions, shops, and restaurants, as well as offering assistance to tourists to safeguard their rights, reports Bangkok Post.