The flow of people "going north to south" is booming. The interconnection between Hong Kong and the Mainland is steadily advancing.
Wu Yu Yangyang intern Ji Mengying
In the past year, since Hong Kong and the mainland resumed full customs clearance, "going north to south" has become a hot topic of the year.
During the Spring Festival in 2024, the "two-way travel" between Hong Kong and the mainland is booming, with a large flow of people at major ports. While mainland tourists are once again exploring the charm of Hong Kong, Hong Kong citizens continue to "go north" for leisure consumption.
According to statistics from the Hong Kong Immigration Department, during the eight-day Golden Week of the Spring Festival in the Mainland, a total of approximately 1.436 million tourists visited Hong Kong initially recorded, reaching the level of the same period in 2018; the average number of Mainland tourist arrivals per day was approximately 157,000, which was higher than that during the Labor Day holiday in 2023. During holidays and National Day Golden Week, the number of visitors increased by 25.3% and 14.9% respectively, exceeding the average daily number of visitors in the same period in 2018.
The inbound and outbound passenger flow of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has also hit new highs.
Data show that on February 13, the number of inbound and outbound passengers reached 144,000, and the number of inbound and outbound vehicle traffic exceeded 18,000 for the first time, setting new records since its opening.
In order to facilitate the flow of people, many Hong Kong-Shenzhen land ports have extended passenger entry and exit service hours, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway has added trains between Guangdong and Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong subway and bus systems have increased their frequency and operated all night... A series of transportation convenience measures ensure the Spring Festival. Traveling is smooth.
It is worth mentioning that electronic payment methods commonly used by mainland consumers, such as WeChat and Alipay, are increasingly popular in Hong Kong and their scope of use continues to expand.
According to the "Observation on New Ideas in Consumption during the Year of the Dragon during the Spring Festival" ("Observation") released by WeChat and Tongcheng Travel, the average daily consumption of ride codes in Hong Kong increased 18 times year-on-year during the Spring Festival.
The transportation is convenient and people enjoy their travels.
Strolling through the streets of Hong Kong, travelers with suitcases in tow can hear Cantonese, Mandarin, English and other languages intertwined in the streets.
Popular places such as Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, and Central are bustling with tourists. There is an endless stream of tourists stopping to enjoy the scenery, taking photos and checking in. Long queues form in front of Hong Kong-style specialty restaurants, which is very lively.
According to Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car, from the first day to the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the number of visitors increased by more than 25% year-on-year, which was a new high in recent years.
The industry reported that the hotel occupancy rate reached 90% in the first few days of the Spring Festival Golden Week, and exceeded 80% during the entire holiday.
The Hong Kong SAR government also collaborates with all sectors of society to organize a variety of New Year activities.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, nearly 340,000 people enjoyed the grand fireworks display in Victoria Harbor; on the third day of the Lunar New Year, the "Lunar New Year Racing Day" event attracted about 88,000 people to watch the race at Sha Tin Racecourse, setting a new high in recent years.
The Year of the Dragon light and shadow show at Tai Kwun in Central, Hong Kong and the New Year theme of Hong Kong Disneyland have also made many mainland tourists praise that "the streets and alleys of Hong Kong are full of New Year flavor and the atmosphere is 'full'."
At the same time, "going north" has ushered in a peak outbound trip. According to statistics from the Hong Kong Immigration Department, between February 9 and 13, a total of 1.66 million Hong Kong citizens were recorded leaving the country, of which about 70%, or about 1.16 million people, passed through the country. Travel overland to the mainland.
"Hong Kong trains heading north" have also become one of the convenient ways for Hong Kong citizens to travel during the Spring Festival.
Gongbei Customs data shows that from the first day to the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Customs supervised 126,000 inbound and outbound vehicles, an increase of 246% compared with the same period last year during the Spring Festival. Among them, 88,000 "northbound" single-plate vehicles from Hong Kong and Macao were "bound", accounting for 126,000 vehicles. Than 70%.
According to statistics, half a year after the implementation of "Hong Kong Cars Going North", the average monthly number of Hong Kong single-plate vehicles passing through customs reached 95,000, an increase of nearly 13 times compared with the first month.
At the same time, many mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area have renovated parking lots to upgrade Hong Kong and Macao license plate recognition, create sensorless payments, and achieve a convenient "on-and-off" parking experience.
In terms of consumption, looking at social platforms, the topic of "going north" during the Spring Festival continues to be hot.
Various consumer discount information groups emerge in endlessly, food, accommodation and travel guides are everywhere. KOLs and anchors have also joined the track to introduce payment methods in mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area and recommend good places to go during the Spring Festival.
"I am very happy to celebrate the New Year in the Mainland. Now it is convenient to travel, the consumption environment is friendly, and you can also eat delicious food from all over the country. It is full of experience." This year, Mr. Teng, a Hong Kong citizen who chose to spend the Spring Festival in Zhuhai, went to Jingshan Park with his family Climb high and look into the distance, take the sightseeing cableway to get a panoramic view of the city, take a leisurely stroll on Lovers Road, and feel the colors of the sea and sky under the sun, moon and shells.
"Observation" shows that during the Spring Festival, the number of online and offline transactions by Hong Kong residents in the mainland increased nearly five times year-on-year, and the transaction amount exceeded three times. The number of visits to the "Wanshitong" comprehensive cross-border service mini program increased by 365% month-on-month.
During the Spring Festival, the flow of people is booming and consumption momentum is surging, which is a remarkable result of the interconnection of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Today, favorable measures such as "Hong Kong trains going north", "21 measures to promote consumption" and "Digital Bay Area" are steadily advancing. "Hard Connect", "Soft Connect" and "Heart Connect" have pressed the accelerator button to closely connect Hong Kong with the mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area. connected.
It is foreseeable that the cross-border consumption boom will continue, the economic aggregate of the Greater Bay Area will accelerate growth, and the construction of a world-class bay area is making great strides forward.
(People's Daily Online)