The Planning Department today (February 28) released a publication entitled "Northbound Southbound 2017", which presents the results of the Cross-boundary Travel Survey 2017.
 
     The Survey was carried out at 11 boundary control points from November 16 to 29, 2017. During the two-week survey period, daily averages of 720 000 cross-boundary passenger trips (including 666 700 trips between Hong Kong and the Mainland and 53 300 trips between Hong Kong and Macao) and 46 100 vehicle trips between Hong Kong and the Mainland were recorded.
 
Passenger trips
 
     A daily average of 720 000 cross-boundary passenger trips was recorded during the survey period, representing a growth of 2.6 per cent over that in the 2015 Survey. Among these trips, 92.6 per cent were passenger trips between Hong Kong and the Mainland and the remaining 7.4 per cent were between Hong Kong and Macao.
 
     The 666 700 average daily cross-boundary passenger trips between Hong Kong and the Mainland represented a growth of 2.8 per cent over that in the 2015 Survey. Of these almost half (48 per cent) were made by People Living in Hong Kong. A further 32.5 per cent were made by Visitors from the Mainland, 17.5 per cent were by Hong Kong Residents Living in the Mainland and 2 per cent were by People Living in Other Places.
 
     For trips between Hong Kong and the Mainland made by People Living in Hong Kong, 45.7 per cent were for leisure, followed by visiting relatives and friends (28.8 per cent) and for business (14.4 per cent). Shenzhen remained the most common trip end in the Mainland, accounting for 68.4 per cent of the trips. A daily average of 164 400 trips (51.4 per cent) were same-day trips.
 
     A daily average of 216 600 passenger trips was made by Visitors from the Mainland with 62.7 per cent under the Individual Visit Scheme, including 40.1 per cent using one-entry or two-entry endorsements and 22.6 per cent using "one trip per week" endorsements. Regarding trip purposes, 67.4 per cent of Mainland visitors came to Hong Kong for leisure, 14.3 per cent for visiting relatives and friends and 8.7 per cent for business. A daily average of 125 200 trips (57.8 per cent) were same-day trips.
 
     For trips made by Hong Kong Residents Living in the Mainland, 90.8 per cent of them started from Shenzhen. They mainly travelled to Hong Kong for schooling (45.4 per cent), work (19.8 per cent) and leisure (15.8 per cent). As compared with the 2015 Survey, the number of cross-boundary students increased by 1.8 per cent to 28 280.
 
     Rail-based control points remained the most popular control points with 34.4 per cent using the Lo Wu Control Point and 23.5 per cent using the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point. The proportions of trips using the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and the Lok Ma Chau Control Point were 17.7 per cent and 12.5 per cent respectively.
 
     The Survey found that there were 721 400 frequent cross-boundary travellers who usually travelled at least once a week between Hong Kong and the Mainland during the survey period, representing a decrease of 17.6 per cent when compared with the 2015 Survey. Among all frequent cross-boundary travellers, 61.7 per cent were living in Hong Kong. In particular, 39.2 per cent of them were frequent leisure trip makers, 21.8 per cent were other frequent trip makers, 19.6 per cent were frequent business trip makers, 15.5 per cent were extended home-leavers (visiting family members/relatives) and 3.9 per cent were cross-boundary workers. The other 38.3 per cent of frequent cross-boundary travellers were living in the Mainland, and among them 46 per cent were frequent leisure trip makers, 17.1 per cent were other frequent trip makers, 10.2 per cent were cross-boundary students, 9.2 per cent were cross-boundary workers, 8.9 per cent were frequent business trip makers and 8.5 per cent were extended home-leavers.
 
Vehicle trips
 
     In the 2017 Survey, there was a daily average of 46 100 cross-boundary vehicle trips between Hong Kong and the Mainland recorded at the road crossings, representing an increase of 6.8 per cent as compared with that in the 2015 Survey. The number of private car trips increased to a daily average of 20 900 in the 2017 Survey, goods vehicle trips (including container truck trips) rose to 21 300, and shuttle bus trips surged to 800. On the other hand, coach trips dropped slightly to 3 200. Trips by private cars constituted the largest share of vehicle trips (45.3 per cent), followed by goods vehicles (24.4 per cent), container trucks (21.8 per cent) and coaches (6.9 per cent).
 
     About 46 per cent of private car trips used the Lok Ma Chau Control Point. A further 45.2 per cent used the Shenzhen Bay Control Point. For trips made by vehicles carrying goods, 59.2 per cent used the Lok Ma Chau Control Point and 20.2 per cent used the Man Kam To Control Point.
 
Further information
 
     The Cross-boundary Travel Survey 2017 collected statistical information about the patterns of cross-boundary trips as well as the socio-economic profiles of the trip makers. It provides reference data for bureaux/departments and other stakeholders to better understand cross-boundary travel activities, which is crucial to planning work relating to cross-boundary transport infrastructure, community and tourism-related facilities.
 
     A total of 68 400 passengers and 16 200 drivers were interviewed during the Survey. Due to seasonal fluctuations, the number of average daily cross-boundary trips observed during the two-week period may not be representative of the situation for the whole year. Caution should be exercised in interpreting the apparent changes as compared with previous surveys.
 
     The publication "Northbound Southbound 2017" and statistical tables containing detailed findings from the 2017 and previous Cross-boundary Travel Surveys have been uploaded to the website of the Planning Department (www.pland.gov.hk). Members of the public can access the publication and the tables direct at www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/p_study/comp_s/nbsb2017/index.html.

Ends/Thursday, February 28, 2019
Issued at HKT 18:00

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