Following the addition of Xi'an and Qingdao to the Individual Visit System (IVS) on March 6, the State Council of the People's Republic of China announced on Saturday the addition of eight new cities to the IVS for Hong Kong and Macau.
The eight new cities are Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province; Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. Xining City, Qinghai Province. Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. and Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
As of May 27, China's Immigration Bureau plans to grant approval to people from eight cities in Hong Kong and Macau.
Together with the recent additions of Xi'an and Qingdao, the private visit scheme will now cover 59 cities in mainland China.
After announcing the policy, Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said it would bring further economic benefits to Macau's retail and tourism industries.
“In order to create a diverse travel experience for visitors, the Special Administrative Region government will enhance not only cultural and sports activities but also MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) content, and organize more international events. “We will try to promote the event,” he said.
Since the introduction of IVS in Hong Kong and Macau in 2003, the number of mainland tourists visiting Macau has increased significantly, promoting the growth of Macau's tourism industry and related business activities.
Currently, IVS approvals for Macau are divided into three-month and annual approvals, with each stay not exceeding seven days.
