Hong Kong  - A record 4.24 million people are expected to travel in and out of Hong Kong for the May Day holiday, immigration officials in the city of 7 million said Monday.

The figure, which will see an average of 276,000 people a day criss-crossing the Lo Wu land border with China, would be 16 per cent higher than for the same time in 2008.

The busiest days are expected to be May 1 when 173,000 people are expected to cross from China into Hong Kong and May 3 when some 170,000 will cross in the opposite direction, a Hong Kong immigration department spokesman said.

May Day, or Labour Day, is a major holiday in the Chinese calendar and a popular time for people in mainland China to spend time with relatives or friends in Hong Kong.

Travel between China and Hong Kong has been made easier by the relaxing of cross-border travel restrictions, allowing millions more mainland Chinese visitors into the former British colony. (dpa)