Travel Security Update

China, Hong Kong: Significant travel congestion expected during Lunar New Year holiday period
The annual Lunar New Year (Spring Festival, locally known as ‘Chunyun') public holiday period will fall between 22 and 28 January, with the Lunar New Year itself on 23 January. The holiday travel period is expected to commence on 8 January and last until 16 February, with peak periods between 15 and 19 January; 27 January and 4 February; and 7 and 10 February.

Travellers to China can expect increased demand for accommodation but also look our for
• Difficulty to purchase tickets on intercity routes, whether by rail, bus or air.
• Delays (which may sometimes be severe) as a consequence of the large volume of prospective passengers in airports and at train stations in all major cities.
• Furthermore, independent overland travel is likely to be hampered significantly during the peak periods due to exceptionally congested highways.
• It will be impractical to conduct most business activity during the official public holidays, when government offices, companies and banks all close,
• Heightened congestion and demand for transport,
• The potential for bouts of severe wintry conditions could worsen the situation.
• Those who choose to travel by train or bus and who manage to secure a ticket during this period can also anticipate overcrowding and an associated increased risk of exposure to petty and opportunistic crime
Travel Advice
• Allow plenty of time to complete independent overland journeys during the Lunar New Year holiday period due to heightened congestion and delays on various transport networks.
• If you are scheduled to travel to, from and within the country please reconfirm flight and train schedules before setting out.

• Travellers seeking to embark on domestic journeys during the peak season should book tickets, accommodation and other essential services as far in advance as possible.