By Matthew Cheng,Oscar Liu,Wynna Wong

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Hong Kong can expect 1.5 million mainland Chinese visitors over the National Day “golden week” break, a 10 per cent rise from last year, a tourism industry leader has said, with the city set to offer celebratory discounts, ranging from transport to movie tickets, for the occasion.
The anticipated uptick could see the city once again return to peak levels recorded in 2018, when the tally reached 1.52 million.
Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, chairman of the Travel Industry Council, also said on Tuesday that about 1,300 tour groups consisting of around 45,000 mainland visitors were expected to visit the city from October 1 to 8.
He noted that the extended holiday on the mainland would last for eight days this year, a day longer than usual.
Tam discussed Hong Kong’s event offerings for the occasion, saying: “Besides the many large and small-scale events this year, such as the National Day fireworks, there will be Intangible Cultural Heritage events during the Mid-Autumn Festival, such as the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance.
“Visitors really appreciate this, as well as the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival at Victoria Park, which should also attract them.”
This year’s holiday marks the 76th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China and also covers the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Tam said the Hong Kong Tourism Board would launch a string of promotional campaigns in major mainland cities to attract more visitors.
Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu revealed the city would celebrate National Day with a spate of cultural events, as well as discounts and perks covering public transport, museums, dining and shopping.
He said cinema tickets would be half price on October 1, thanks to government subsidies which could attract about 190,000 film-goers.

Residents will also enjoy free tram rides and cross-harbour ferry services that day.
Children will also get 24 per cent off Lantau Island’s Ngong Ping 360 cable car services, while Ocean Park will offer a 15 per cent discount on admission tickets for a five-day period starting on National Day.
The MTR Corporation plans to give away 76,000 free single-ride tickets on October 1, which will be valid for city journeys, including trips to the airport and the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau border stations.
The rail giant’s shopping centres will also offer HK$12 million (US$1.54 million) worth of e-coupons to shoppers.
Meanwhile, the franchised bus operator Citybus will allow children aged between four and 11 to travel for free on about 160 routes.
Caspar Tsui Ying-wai, executive director of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners, said on Tuesday that hotels in tourist hotspots such as Tsim Sha Tsui could expect higher occupancy rates, potentially exceeding 90 per cent.
“We have different types of hotels and in different districts, but there are enough hotels,” he said. “The most important thing is, if you want to find the place you like, book early.”
Fian Leung Ka-yan, head of accommodation business for Hong Kong and Macau at Trip.com Group, said visitors had become increasingly focused on “quality” and “experiential” travel rather than just shopping.
The holiday booking platform’s data showed Hong Kong was the fourth top choice for mainlanders over the holiday, with Japan holding the prime spot, followed by Thailand and South Korea, she said.
Leung also noted there had been a surge in bookings at four and five-star hotels, which currently accounted for 85 per cent of all reservations on the platform for the golden week holiday period.
While Leung did not share the exact figures, she said there had been a “high double-digit” increase in orders for the holiday period compared with last year, and that the average price of hotel rooms had also seen a “high single-digit” rise.
While Hong Kong welcomed 1.52 million mainland visitors during the weeklong National Day holiday in 2018, the city was unable to match that level in subsequent years due to the 2019 anti-government protests and several years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In terms of the overall number of visitors, the city recorded 23.6 million in the first half of 2025, representing a 77.2 per cent recovery rate in comparison with the same period in 2018.
Tsui of the hotel federation said the local tourism industry was still in a recovery phase and had yet to reach pre-pandemic visitor levels.
“We’ve seen very strong momentum, which is why we’re appealing to everyone interested in coming to Hong Kong to book early,” he said.
The Tourism Board also said on Tuesday that 5.15 million visitors had come to Hong Kong in August, a 16 per cent rise from the same month last year.
The figure also represented the highest monthly total since travel resumed after the pandemic in 2023, the board said.
Among the tally, 4.22 million were from the mainland, representing a year-on-year increase of 15 per cent. The remaining 929,490 from non-mainland markets reflected a 17 per cent rise from the same month last year.
The growth in visitor numbers was also notable across various market segments. The number of visitors from short-haul markets increased by 18 per cent during the first eight months of the year, with Taiwan, South Korea and Japan showing improved turnouts.
Visitors from long-haul markets also saw a significant increase of 19 per cent year-on-year, with Australia showing the most substantial growth.
From January to August of this year, Hong Kong welcomed about 33 million visitors. The cumulative figure is a 12 per cent increase from the same period last year.