The Lo Wu arrival hall on Hong Kong's border used to throng with visitors during mainland China's "Golden Week", but as the five-day tourism bonanza kicked off on Wednesday, the queues there were modest.
Mainland Chinese visitors have historically been the lifeblood of Hong Kong's retail and services sectors, spending on everything from basic goods like baby formula to luxury handbags and upscale restaurants -- helping to shape the city's economy in the process.
