Hong Kong’s southbound travel scheme is 1 month old. Are people signing up?

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Fiona ChowJanuary 23, 2026 at 12:02 PM

AI Summary

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In its first month, Hong Kong's "Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles" scheme has received over 2,500 applications, with over 1,000 bookings made. The scheme, launched on December 23rd, allows approved Guangdong drivers to enter Hong Kong's urban areas via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge using their own cars during booked time slots. Hong Kong's Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mable Chan, expressed optimism about the scheme's growth, particularly with the upcoming Lunar New Year. The government and tourism industry stakeholders are collaborating to offer incentives, such as hotel parking and multi-night stay promotions, to attract mainland drivers. A hotel industry leader hopes the daily quota for the scheme will be expanded.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Lunar New Year ×260% Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge 60% China 70% Guangdong ×280% Mable Chan ×280% Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (Entry into Urban Area) scheme 90% Hong Kong ×390%

Keywords

southbound travel scheme 100% guangdong drivers 80% hong kong 70% lunar new year 60% hotel industry 50% tourism 50% cross-border travel 40% application numbers 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.30

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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southbound travel scheme guangdong drivers hong kong lunar new year hotel industry tourism cross-border travel application numbers

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