Two more Chinese cities are set to join a scheme that allows residents to go to Hong Kong as independent tourists, rather than as members of a guided group.
Hong Kong’s hospitality sector
The move comes as part of efforts to revive tourism in Hong Kong, which has suffered successive blows, including the impact of 2019-2020 series of demonstrations. These resulted in violent clashes between protesters and authorities, mass arrests, and the introduction of new national security laws. By the time the Covid-19 pandemic and its shutdown hit, the image of Hong Kong as a cultural and tourist destination had already been damaged.
Visitor numbers recovered to levels not seen since before the pandemic during the 2024 Lunar New Year celebrations, reaching 1.4 million – of whom 87% hailed from mainland China.
However, these mainland Chinese tourists were spending less compared to pre-pandemic levels according to Rayman Chui, Chair of the Institute of Dining Professionals. This, on top of the continued lack of international tourists means the region continues to face challenges.
What’s more, major entertainment stars such as Coldplay and Taylor Swift have recently chosen not to bother with dates in Hong Kong on world tours that featured other Asian cities. The snubs prompted the Chief Executive of the special administrative region, John Lee, to declare Hong Kong must be “relentless” in its pursuit of world-class acts.
High value tourists from Qingdao and Xian
Originally rolled out in 2003 to just four cities in Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong to the north, the “Individual Travel Scheme” was then extended to 49 other mainland cities in 2007. The two additional cities, the Yellow Sea’s Qingdao and inland Xian, will become part of the scheme by March 6, meaning that residents of 51 Chinese cities will be eligible to apply for individual travel.
Residents of Qingdao and Xian will be able to apply for a range of three month and annual visas. Both the cities are classed as megacities with high income and high consumption populations of over 10 million. Attracting some of those to Hong Kong is the aim, according to the region’s Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung. “We believe it can bring more high value added overnight visitors to Hong Kong,” he said in a statement.
The sentiment was echoed by Lee, who said: “This move reflects President Xi Jinping’s care and support for Hong Kong, especially in the area of economic development. I am grateful for the Central Government, for its positive reaction over the suggestion by the HKSAR”.
