More than 1.12 million residents left Hong Kong between Saturday and Monday as the city gears up for the Christmas holiday and business operators hope for a boost in sales from visitors over the peak festive period.
The city’s checkpoints have been bustling with inbound and outbound travellers since Saturday, with the holiday season marking the last hope for business wrapping up a year of sluggish economic activity.
Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, head of the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong, on Monday invited the faithful to await the “promise of joy and hope of Christmas”, despite the “depressive and anxiety-provoking realities”.
“Christmas and the New Year are a time for hope, love, peace, and dreams! Without hope and dreams, there will be no future. Especially for our young people, we need to walk alongside them and empower their creative hopes and dreams,” he said.
He acknowledged the challenges facing Hong Kong and the world, including the slower-than-expected economic recovery, worsening geopolitics and rising mental health problems among the youth and elderly.
Hong Kong saw 396,849 residents depart on Sunday ahead of the Christmas holiday, a 15 per cent increase from the 344,836 recorded on December 22 last year. The figure made up two-thirds of the outbound trips on Sunday, while 135,515 mainland visitors travelled to Hong Kong, making up one-quarter of total arrivals.