Residents of eight more cities on the Chinese mainland, including three in the Xinjiang, Xizang and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions, have been allowed to visit the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions from May 27 this year, without having to join tour groups.
The central authorities said on Saturday the new cities added are Taiyuan, Shanxi province; Harbin, Heilongjiang province; Lanzhou, Gansu province; Xining, Qinghai province; Yinchuan, Ningxia; Hohhot, Inner Mongolia; Lhasa in Xizang and Urumqi in Xinjiang. All of them are capital cities of their respective provinces and regions.
The National Immigration Administration said eligible people living in the eight cities will be able to apply for individual-visit endorsements to visit Hong Kong and Macao.
The latest additions bring the total number of mainland cities under the individual visit scheme to 59, following the inclusion of Qingdao, Shandong province, and Xi’an in Shaanxi province, in early March
They can submit applications from May 11, and the endorsements will be effective from May 27. Mainland travelers visiting the two SARs can stay for up to a week on each entry.
The latest additions bring the total number of mainland cities under the individual visit scheme to 59, following the inclusion of Qingdao, Shandong province, and Xi’an in Shaanxi province, in early March.
The HKSAR government welcomed the additions, saying the mainland authorities have responded to Hong Kong’s proposal to allow residents of the eight new cities to explore Hong Kong’s unique charm in a more flexible and convenient manner.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu thanked the central government for its ardent care for Hong Kong and its full support for the city’s governance and prosperity.
HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said more visitors from these cities will significantly boost economic activities in the city’s tourism, retail, catering, hotel and related industries and bring substantial revenue
The eight newly added cities are all capitals of their respective provinces and autonomous regions with large populations, strong economic growth and a high consumer base, Lee said, adding that more visitors from these cities will significantly boost economic activities in Hong Kong’s tourism, retail, catering, hotel and related industries and bring substantial revenue.
Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng said the additions of the eight mainland cities is heartening news for the city’s tourism and retail sectors.
To welcome more visitors and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland this year, he said the Macao SAR government will strive to organize more grand events, enhance the city’s reception capacity and create a diversified tourism experience for visitors.
Launched in 2003, the Individual Visit Scheme allows residents from designated mainland cities to visit Hong Kong and Macao without having to join tour groups. The program started with four cities in Guangdong province and has been gradually extended to more cities across the nation in the following years.
Source: China Daily [2024-05-11]
