Hong Kong News
Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Tuesday, Dec 31, 2024
Real, Diverse, Unbiased.
Travelers head abroad as long Ching Ming/Easter break begins
Hong Kong International Airport saw long queues Wednesday as citizens took advantage of the Ching Ming/Easter holiday to travel abroad, and airlines opened more check-in counters to accommodate the surge.
Some tour agencies stated that the outbound numbers were more than Christmas and Lunar New Year.
Tien, a traveler heading to Japan, stated that while air tickets were expensive amid the cherry blossom peak season, she wanted to take advantage of the excellent opportunity with her kid while they were on break.
Kwok, who was heading to Taiwan, was conflicted when she saw the price tripled but ultimately decided to go for the ticket as she had been stuck in Hong Kong for too long.
Some people, such as Leung, decide not to book any tours since traveling by themselves is slightly cheaper and can allow them to be more flexible than following the tour agencies' itineraries.
EGL Tours executive director Steve Huen Kwok-chuen stated that most Hongkongers adored Japan, seeing about half of the 200 tour groups of his company are heading to Japan.
He remarked that the China tour groups also consist of 25 percent of the sold tours due to the implementation of the convenient high-speed rail.
He also pointed out the average cost of tickets rose by 15 to 20 percent and believes the industry has reached about 60 percent of the pre-pandemic level and will likely reach total revitalization by the next Lunar New Year.
Meanwhile, some opted for Macau during the holiday rather than travel abroad.
On Wednesday, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port was crowded with hundreds of citizens waiting for the bridge bus to the casino hub.
The bus company said it took more than an hour to get on a "golden bus" from Hong Kong to Macau.
According to a prior estimate by the Immigration Department, it expects about nine million people will head in and out of Hong Kong from April 1 to 10 through sea, land, and air control points, with more than one million expected to enter and depart through the Hong Kong International Airport.
Tien, a traveler heading to Japan, stated that while air tickets were expensive amid the cherry blossom peak season, she wanted to take advantage of the excellent opportunity with her kid while they were on break.
Kwok, who was heading to Taiwan, was conflicted when she saw the price tripled but ultimately decided to go for the ticket as she had been stuck in Hong Kong for too long.
Some people, such as Leung, decide not to book any tours since traveling by themselves is slightly cheaper and can allow them to be more flexible than following the tour agencies' itineraries.
EGL Tours executive director Steve Huen Kwok-chuen stated that most Hongkongers adored Japan, seeing about half of the 200 tour groups of his company are heading to Japan.
He remarked that the China tour groups also consist of 25 percent of the sold tours due to the implementation of the convenient high-speed rail.
He also pointed out the average cost of tickets rose by 15 to 20 percent and believes the industry has reached about 60 percent of the pre-pandemic level and will likely reach total revitalization by the next Lunar New Year.
Meanwhile, some opted for Macau during the holiday rather than travel abroad.
On Wednesday, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port was crowded with hundreds of citizens waiting for the bridge bus to the casino hub.
The bus company said it took more than an hour to get on a "golden bus" from Hong Kong to Macau.
According to a prior estimate by the Immigration Department, it expects about nine million people will head in and out of Hong Kong from April 1 to 10 through sea, land, and air control points, with more than one million expected to enter and depart through the Hong Kong International Airport.
