Hong Kongers are changing their travel habits for Easter and Qingming Festival.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department (China) said that during the Easter and Qingming Festival holidays from April 3 to 7, about 6.44 million people are expected to enter and exit Hong Kong by sea, land and air.

Hong Kong’s airport, high-speed rail station, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Hong Kong-China border crossing and bus hub are expected to be crowded with passengers.

Foreign tourists also take advantage of the Easter holidays to visit Hong Kong. During this period, many Hong Kongers favor destinations such as Taiwan (China), Japan and South Korea.

However, due to instability in the Middle East and geopolitical tensions, and the fact that high-speed train fares are not affected by increasing fuel surcharges, many Hong Kong residents are opting for short stays in mainland China, and high-speed train travel will become one of the most popular travel choices for Hongkongers.

Lam Chi-ting, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said the holiday was longer than usual and more suitable for medium and long-distance travel.

Traditionally, Southeast Asia is the most popular destination for Hong Kongers, who can also extend their stay with a few days in Europe or the United States. However, due to conflicts in the Middle East, many flights to Europe and the United States now include stopovers, forcing many travelers who had initially planned long-haul flights to favor South-East Asia.

Mr Tran Chi Hoa, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of International Travel Agencies, said the demand for group travel during this holiday season is very strong, estimated to be around 30% higher than last year. He attributed the increase to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, which is leading to an increase in fuel surcharges for flights. In contrast, high-speed train fares remain unchanged, which explains why many passengers opt for high-speed train tours to different regions in China.

April 4 is also a busy tourist day in mainland China. Tickets for many fast ferry routes between mainland China and Hong Kong are sold out, such as during the Lunar New Year and Labor Day holidays. Many tourists from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area go to Hong Kong during these few holidays.

During this period, many tourists also opted for a 5 days and 4 nights tour in Vietnam. They first took a high-speed train to Nanning, in Guangxi province, then a tourist bus to the rest of Vietnam. This tour costs around 4,000 HKD (around 14 million Vietnamese dong).

The high-speed train ride is shorter, does not require early check-in like air travel, and offers more comfortable seats, making it a popular choice for many Hong Kong residents.

Source : https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nguoi-dan-hong-kong-thay-doi-xu-huong-du-lich-dip-le-phuc-sinh-va-thanh-minh-post1102864.vnp