Travel between Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macao has surged this year, fueled by streamlined clearance policies and robust tourism and consumption growth across the Greater Bay Area.

According to the Zhuhai Border Inspection Station, major ports, including Gongbei, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Hengqin, and Qingmao, have handled over 100 million inbound and outbound passenger trips as of Saturday.

This milestone was reached 16 days earlier than the same period last year.

At Hengqin Port on Saturday morning, travelers moved efficiently through the inspection hall, with many using facial recognition and fingerprints to complete clearance within seconds.

"I work in Macao in the morning and come to my workplace in Hengqin in the afternoon. I cross the port every day. It's very efficient," said a Macao resident.

"I usually come to Zhuhai once every one or two weeks. With face-scan clearance, I no longer need to carry physical documents all the time. It's much more convenient and faster," said another Macao traveler.

This year, the Zhuhai Border Inspection Station has handled 55 million trips by mainland residents heading to Hong Kong and Macao, up more than 9 percent year-on-year, and 42 million trips by Hong Kong and Macao residents entering or leaving the mainland, a rise of over 10 percent.
Hengqin Port has recorded the strongest growth, handling more than 15 million passengers, a sharp 30 percent growth compared to last year.
In addition, over 1.7 million northbound trips have been made by registered vehicles from Hong Kong and Macao, growing more than 11 percent year-on-year.

"We come over very often, two or three times a week. When there's a holiday, we bring the kids along," said a Hong Kong traveler.