About 460,000 Chinese mainlanders are expected to visit Hong Kong during the Labor Day Golden Week holiday, Hong Kong's Commissioner for Tourism Eva Cheng said Tuesday.

The Tourism Commission has coordinated work between government departments and the tourism sector in preparing for the surge to enhance the flow of visitors through boundary control points, increasing transport capacity and stepping up promotion and information dissemination on consumer protection.

Labor Day Golden Week is the traditional peak travel period for mainland tourists, and Hong Kong is a popular destination. Hong Kong's Immigration Department foresees 460,000 mainland arrivals between April 30 and May 9. More than half will be on the Individual Visitor Scheme visitors, while about 12 percent will come in groups.

"The departments are well prepared and will flexibly deploy resources according to the situation. We will also maintain close liaison with the Guangdong Provincial Tourism Administration to exchange information on visitor flow," Cheng said.

Cheng added that they would make the best possible preparations to receive visitors and enhance their travel experience in Hong Kong.

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2005)