Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki today chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental working group to co-ordinate the preparatory work for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the Mainland's Lunar New Year Golden Week.

According to the Immigration Department's estimate, around 8.67 million passengers, including Hong Kong residents and visitors, will pass through Hong Kong's sea, land and air control points from January 28 to February 4, among which 7.34 million are expected to pass through land control points.

The peak period of outbound and inbound passengers using land boundary control points (BCPs) will be January 31, the third day of the Lunar New Year (LNY) and February 2, the fifth day of the LNY, with around 567,000 passengers and 640,000 passengers respectively.

It is estimated that the number of outbound passengers will be relatively higher on January 30, the second day of the LNY and January 31, the third day of the LNY, whilst the number of inbound passengers will be relatively higher in the afternoon of February 2.

The estimated waiting time during the period will be relatively longer, and passengers are advised to plan in advance, avoid making journeys during busy periods and keep track of radio and TV broadcasts on traffic conditions at various control points. The busy times at BCPs are available on the department's website.

In terms of Mainland inbound visitors, around 1.43 million passengers are expected to visit Hong Kong via sea, land and air control points during the eight-day Lunar New Year Golden Week. Compared with last year's National Day Golden Week and Lunar New Year Golden Week, the daily average visitor arrivals will increase by 3% and 14%.

According to estimates by the Travel Industry Authority and the trade, 2,000 inbound tour groups will visit Hong Kong during the LNY Golden Week, a notable increase as compared with last year's National Day Golden Week. Special arrangements have been formulated at major tourist spots to cope with the increase of people flow.

There will be a rich array of celebratory activities during the LNY Golden Week of the Mainland. Major events include the Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade on January 29 and the Lunar New Year Fireworks Display the following day.

Police will ensure sufficient manpower to implement crowd management measures and special traffic arrangements as necessary for all celebrations to be conducted in a safe and orderly manner. District offices will also closely monitor the flow of visitors within their respective districts and notify relevant departments, having regard to the circumstances.

As regards the control points, traffic and public transport facilities, the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port will maintain a 24-hour operation as usual. The Government appealed to visitors to plan ahead for their itineraries and stay overnight after participating in celebratory activities to fully enjoy the rich and diverse activities to be held in the city and experience Hong Kong's unique charm.

The Transport Department will enhance transportation services connecting various BCPs, including increasing the frequency of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge shuttle bus (Gold Bus) and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus), and issue additional cross-boundary coach quotas to enhance services.

There will also be a contingency plan to establish a dedicated passage at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port, Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port and Shenzhen Bay Port to ensure the smooth operation of public transport services.

Regarding local transport services, the department has approached public transport operators to enhance their capacity, and reserve vehicles and manpower to meet the travel needs of visitors.

Among them, the MTR will enhance train services of various railway lines between January 24 and February 4 for the convenience of residents and visitors. On January 28, LNY Eve, all local railway lines will operate overnight, except for the East Rail Line between Sheung Shui and Lo Wu stations or Lok Ma Chau Station, Airport Express and Disneyland Resort Line.

In the early hours from January 29 to January 31, after the service hours of the East Rail Line trains to Lo Wu Station, special bus service of KMB Route No. N73 will be provided at the MTR Sheung Shui Station to carry passengers to interchange to the Yellow Bus for their journey to the Mainland via the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port, which operates round-the-clock.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Board has launched an ultimate guide to Chinese New Year in Hong Kong, a one-stop platform with information including the operating arrangements of major tourist attractions in Hong Kong.

Noting that an increase in visitor arrivals is estimated during the Lunar New Year Golden Week, Mr Chan said the Government will make preparations for receiving visitors to ensure the smooth operation of various aspects in receiving them and offering a high-quality experience.