Hong Kong Expects to Welcome 1.29 Million Mainland Visitors During the National Day Golden Week

Commissioner for Tourism visits tourist attractions during National Day Golden Week of Mainland

The seven-day 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland begins today (October 1). The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan, visited several major tourist attractions including the Peak Tram, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland, Ngong Ping 360, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Kowloon Visitor Centre, Sha Tin Racecourse, the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station and the Old Town Central yesterday (September 30) and today to monitor crowd control management and visitor activities.

The Government estimated that during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland, around 1.29 million Mainland visitors will visit Hong Kong, including over 1 180 Mainland inbound tour groups.

Currently, the operation of various major tourist attractions and ancillary services for receiving visitors was generally smooth. During peak hours of crowd flow, manpower and resources have been suitably deployed by various tourist attractions to strengthen services and facilitate crowd management. The HKTB has also launched a dedicated webpage (www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/travel-guide/oct-goldenweek-special-info.html) which provides useful travel information, real-time updates on the waiting time at major attractions (including Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park Hong Kong, the Peak Tram, Ngong Ping 360, the Hong Kong Observation Wheel and the Star Ferry), as well as information on reservations for visiting the High Island Geo Trail-Po Pin Chau Section, to assist visitors and residents in planning their itineraries.

During the Golden Week, the Travel Industry Authority (TIA) will deploy additional manpower and continue to step up inspections at locations frequented by inbound tour groups, including major boundary control points, registered shops, tourist attractions (such as the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower and the Avenue of Stars), as well as dining premises visited by inbound tour groups, to ensure orderly travel activities of tour groups. The TIA also conducts joint operations with enforcement departments including the Immigration Department to combat illegal tourist guides and tour escorts. The TIA has earlier conducted joint inspection and publicity operations with the Customs and Excise Department in Tsim Sha Tsui and To Kwa Wan. They visited registered shops receiving inbound tour groups in the districts to remind them to strictly comply with relevant regulations and provide visitors with high-quality and fair shopping experiences. The TIA will continue to take stringent action against malpractices such as coerced shopping and adopt a zero-tolerance stance. Visitors may call the TIA's hotline (3698 5900) to report incidents or contact the Police for assistance if they encounter improper treatment.

For the remaining days of the Golden Week holiday, different units will continue to closely communicate and co-ordinate to offer visitors a high-quality experience.

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (left), today (October 1) visited the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station to monitor crowd management and visitor activities at the tourist attraction during the 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (second right), today (October 1) visited Old Town Central to monitor crowd management and visitor activities at the tourist attraction during the 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (second right), today (October 1) visited a bar on Hong Kong Island, which is ranked No. 1 in the world, to observe the visitor activities during the 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (left), today (October 1) visited the Hong Kong Tourism Board Kowloon Visitor Centre to learn about the operation of visitor service facilities. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (right), today (October 1) visited Sha Tin Racecourse to monitor crowd management and visitor activities at the tourist attraction during the 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (first left), today (October 1) visited Sha Tin Racecourse to monitor crowd management and visitor activities at the tourist attraction during the 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (first left), today (October 1) visited the Hong Kong Tourism Board Kowloon Visitor Centre to learn about the operation of visitor service facilities. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (first right), yesterday (September 30) visited the Ngong Ping 360 Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal to monitor crowd management and visitor activities at the tourist attraction during the 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (first right), yesterday (September 30) visited Hong Kong Disneyland to monitor crowd management and visitor activities at the tourist attraction during the 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (first right), yesterday (September 30) visited Ocean Park Hong Kong to monitor crowd management and visitor activities at the tourist attraction during the 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Ann Chan (second left), yesterday (September 30) visited the Peak Tram to monitor crowd management and visitor activities at the tourist attraction during the 2026 National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Grading of beach water quality released

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 2) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).

Twenty beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 20 as Fair (Grade 2).

Grade 1 beaches are:

Cafeteria New Beach*	Pui O Beach*
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*	Repulse Bay Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach*	South Bay Beach*
Discovery Bay Tai Pak Beach	St. Stephen's Beach*
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	Stanley Main Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Lo So Shing Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach	Trio Beach*
Middle Bay Beach*	Upper Cheung Sha Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach*	Hoi Mei Wan Beach*
Approach Beach*	Kadoorie Beach*
Big Wave Bay Beach*	Kiu Tsui Beach
Butterfly Beach*	Kwun Yam Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Lido Beach*
Casam Beach*	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Castle Peak Beach	Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	Silverstrand Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach*	Ting Kau Beach*
Golden Beach*	Turtle Cove Beach

Compared with the grading released last week, Lower Cheung Sha Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Golden Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.

"The changes in beach water quality are generally within the normal range of natural fluctuation," an EPD spokesman said.

Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.

While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.

A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666. Members of the public can also obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches that are open for swimming through the EPD's dedicated webpage on the beach water quality forecast (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast).

Note 1: Lifesaving services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 29 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from September 1. For details, please refer to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Special Announcement (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/index.html).

Note 2: This refers to Discovery Bay Tai Pak Beach which has no lifesaving service.

Source: AI-found images