More than 5,000 Guangdong motorists have been approved to drive into Hong Kong’s urban areas under a southbound travel scheme as of March, while 90 per cent of the 3,500 travellers who booked to visit have stayed for one or two days.

The Transport Department said on Sunday that the urban access portion of the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles arrangement was operating smoothly and had become increasingly popular since its launch near the end of 2025.

The scheme currently grants access to Hong Kong for up to 100 vehicles a day from Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Jiangmen.

It permits approved vehicles to enter Hong Kong during booked time slots and travel via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to stay in the city for a maximum of 72 hours.

The arrangement aims to integrate mainland Chinese private cars into the city’s road network to boost tourism, with local authorities highlighting the economic potential of the influx.

“Since its launch on December 23 last year and up until the end of March this year, the department has approved more than 5,000 applications and recorded over 3,500 travel bookings, with around 90 per cent of travellers staying in Hong Kong for one to two days,” the department said.