The addition of eight Chinese cities to Hong Kong's solo travel itinerary will be a “timely boost” for the hotel and retail industry, a veteran industry representative said. Beijing's move will allow more citizens to visit the city without joining group tours.
Mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong on May 2, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
On Saturday, the Chinese government announced that the individual visit plan would cover several remote cities in China, including Urumqi in Xinjiang, Lhasa in Tibet, and Hohhot in Inner Mongolia. Other newly added cities include Taiyuan, Harbin, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinchuan, all of which are capitals of their respective provinces.
From May 27, residents of these areas will be able to visit Hong Kong on their own and stay for up to seven days at a time.
This is the second time in the past three months that this system has been expanded. In February, Xi'an and Qingdao were added to the list, bringing the total number of mainland cities participating in the plan to 51.
Miramar Group Chief Operating Officer Alan Chan said on Monday that it would be a “timely boost” for local tourism-related industries such as hotels and retail, as May and June were typically slow months. .
A group of tourists visiting Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong. File photo: Kyle Lamb/HKFP.
“For us, it's always, 'May is poor, June is miserable. [but] July will be better…so it's a good time to boost the hotel industry,” Chan told RTHK radio in Cantonese.
He said Hong Kong's hotel industry as a whole currently has about 17,000 vacant rooms per day, which is enough capacity to accommodate new visitors.
“Let's assume it's a full flight (200 people per flight). Even if you fly to eight cities, you'll only have 1,600 people,” he says. “No problem at all with accommodation.”
state capital
Mr Chan also noted that residents from these eight cities on the mainland are considered long-distance travelers, and unlike travelers from neighboring cities such as Shenzhen and Zhuhai, who may choose to take a day trip, they may not spend the night in Hong Kong. He said he is likely to stay.
He added that visitors from the new city represent “the most affluent people in the region” and will therefore benefit Hong Kong.
Hong Kong International Airport. File photo: Kyle Lamb/HKFP.
“There is economic benefit in the state capital because it is a regional node and all regional cities and towns are connected to it,” he added.
CEO John Lee also said on Saturday that the eight cities have “large populations, strong economic growth and high purchasing power.”
Hong Kong's tourism sector has been slow to recover since all coronavirus-related travel restrictions were lifted early last year. International tourist arrivals to Hong Kong have resumed at a much slower pace than mainland Chinese tourists.
See also: Hong Kong struggles to win back long-haul travelers amid flight cuts and travel warnings
The Individual Visit Scheme, launched in 2003, allows residents of designated cities on the mainland to travel to those cities without joining a tour group. They can apply for single-entry or double-entry visas valid for three months or one year.
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