Travel agencies tout Huanggang Port tours, but security chief urges later visits

Some Hong Kong travel agencies are offering tours featuring “five-minute clearance” at the revamped Huanggang Port when it opens on Monday, but the security chief has urged those who do not need to use the crossing immediately to delay their visits.

Three days before the port’s official opening, the South China Morning Post on Friday found a number of tour packages advertised on social media that promoted the redeveloped border checkpoint as a new attraction on trips to mainland China.

An advertisement posted by Sino Step Travel Services on its Facebook page said, “Early access to the Huanggang Port for a brand new clearance experience!”.

“Since the government announced early Friday that the checkpoint would open at 6.30am on October 12, inquiries and bookings have risen markedly, with many residents eager to experience ‘five-minute clearance’,” marketing manager Cici Chung Ka-lam said.