Eager for their slice of the high-speed rail pie, Hong Kong travel agencies scrambled on Sunday to cash in on tour package offerings aboard the new cross-border link.

China Travel Service’s deputy general manager, Ng Hi-on, said the firm had organised eight high-speed rail tours to and from various mainland destinations with more than 300 people joining.

Wing On Travel CEO Lanny Leung said on the first day it had only introduced three outbound tours: to Shenzhen, Dongguan and Shantou. Together the excursions drew more than 100 visitors.

She said Wing On planned to launch about 150 to 200 outbound tours every month and that the high-speed rail tours were expected to boost the travel agency’s mainland business by 20%.

Meanwhile, Ocean Park and Disneyland each partnered with tour company GZL International Travel Service in Guangzhou to bring in mainland tourists. More than 35 and 100 mainland visitors respectively joined the first tours with the theme parks.

GZL International’s vice general manager, Li Nianyang, said the Ocean Park tour cost 429 yuan (USD 62) per person, covering a one-way trip and the park entrance ticket.