Zhuhai Border Crossings Surpass 100 Million as Greater Bay Area Travel Booms

Zhuhai’s border crossings have exceeded 100 million passengers for 2026, reaching the milestone 16 days earlier than last year as convenient customs clearance policies and a booming cultural tourism market in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) drive record cross-border traffic. According to CCTV News, the Zhuhai General Border Inspection Station reported that as of May 30, passenger traffic across its four major ports—Gongbei, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), Hengqin, and Qingmao—had surpassed the 100 million mark.

Context

The milestone reflects the deepening integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a national-level development strategy launched in 2019 to link Hong Kong, Macao, and nine cities in Guangdong Province into a world-class economic hub. Key policy drivers include the “Northbound Hong Kong Vehicles” and “Northbound Macao Vehicles” schemes implemented in 2023, which allow private vehicles from both special administrative regions to drive into mainland China via the HZMB without requiring mainland license plates or investment thresholds.

Key Developments

Data from the border inspection station reveals robust growth across multiple metrics. Some 55 million mainland tourists traveled to Hong Kong and Macao, a year-on-year increase of over 9%, while 42 million Hong Kong and Macao residents entered the mainland, up more than 10% compared to the same period last year.

Hengqin port has emerged as a standout performer, handling over 15 million passengers—a year-on-year surge of approximately 30%. The growth is attributed to the daily cross-border commuting pattern now common between Macao and the Hengqin New Area. “Basically, I’m at my Macao company in the morning and at my Hengqin company in the afternoon. I travel every day, and the efficiency is very high,” said Macao traveler Mr. Chen, as quoted by CCTV News.

Facial recognition clearance has become a mainstream cross-border method in the GBA. Approximately 18 million passengers—roughly one in five—have used the technology in 2026, eliminating the need to repeatedly present physical documents. Macao traveler Ms. Zhuang told CCTV News: “I usually come to Zhuhai once a week or every two weeks. Now with facial recognition clearance, I don’t have to take out physical documents all the time—it’s more convenient and faster.”

Vehicle traffic has also seen explosive growth. Over 1.7 million northbound vehicle crossings have been recorded in 2026, up more than 11% year-on-year. According to IT之家, cumulative northbound Hong Kong and Macao single-plate vehicles passing through the HZMB port exceeded 10 million crossings since the policy began in 2023. More than 228,000 drivers and 192,000 vehicles have completed border inspection registration for the schemes.

In 2025, 3.8 million northbound single-plate vehicles were inspected—2.7 times the figure from 2023, the first year of the policy—with an average annual growth rate exceeding 60%. On April 6, 2026, during the Qingming Festival holiday, a single-day record of 22,800 northbound vehicle crossings was set, according to Zhang Lei, Deputy Station Chief of the HZMB Border Inspection Station.

Foreign national crossings have also risen sharply, with approximately 1 million recorded—up over 25% year-on-year. This growth is driven by China’s 240-hour transit visa-free policy introduced in December 2024, mutual visa exemption agreements with 29 countries, and unilateral visa-free access for citizens of 50 countries.

Analysis

The accelerating cross-border traffic figures signal a fundamental transformation in the GBA’s economic and social fabric. Daily commuting between Macao and Hengqin, once rare, has become normalized—a trend reflected in the 30% passenger surge at Hengqin port. The data also suggests that the “Northbound Vehicles” policies have been remarkably successful in encouraging deeper integration, with vehicle growth averaging over 60% annually since their launch.

Border inspection authorities predict that in 2026, the number of Hong Kong and Macao passengers crossing the HZMB port will exceed 20 million for the first time, according to IT之家. This would mark another milestone in the region’s post-pandemic travel recovery and integration trajectory.

What’s Next

With the milestone reached 16 days earlier than in 2025 and the summer travel season approaching, 2026 is on track to set new annual records for cross-border traffic across all Zhuhai ports. The recently implemented “Southbound Guangdong Vehicles” policy, which allows mainland vehicles to drive into Hong Kong, is expected to generate reciprocal traffic flows. However, the sustained double-digit growth rates raise questions about whether port infrastructure and processing capacity can keep pace with demand.