Mainland China's "individual travel" plan to Hong Kong and Macao expands to promote new opportunities for Hong Kong tourism industry
China News Service, Hong Kong, May 27th. News that is good for Hong Kong's tourism industry has been coming out frequently recently. After the SAR government announced the list of "major events" in the second half of the year, eight more cities in mainland China will be included in the "individual travel" plan to Hong Kong and Macao starting from the 27th. , in the eyes of Hong Kong tourism industry professionals, this is a rare opportunity.
Cities included in the plan this time include Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province, Xining City in Qinghai Province, Hohhot City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Lhasa City in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Lanzhou City in Gansu Province, and Urumqi City in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. After this expansion, the number of cities in the mainland for free travel to Hong Kong and Macao has increased to 59, covering all provincial capital cities in the mainland.
Tourists visit the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong. Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Yongnuo
Reporters browsed social platforms and found that many travel agencies and individual users have shared strategies for applying for free travel visas to Hong Kong and Macao in the above-mentioned cities, along with recommendations for "must-visit Hong Kong" attractions, including traditional attractions such as Victoria Harbor, Victoria Peak, There are two major theme parks and the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping area, as well as emerging landmarks such as the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The post attracted a lot of comments, with some netizens saying: "Pick a weekend and leave as soon as you want."
On the 27th, when reporters visited the Victoria Harbor waterfront and the West Kowloon Cultural District, they found that even though it was not the peak tourist period such as "Golden Week" or winter and summer vacations, the number of tourists was still considerable. Every three or five steps, you could see tourists trying to maintain their health. The harbor served as the background for taking photos, and there were also tour guides passing by with small flags. The cafe facing the sea view in the West Kowloon Cultural District was full. Many people chose to sit on the grass with coffee cups and desserts to enjoy the rare sunshine after the continuous rain.
Ms. Fu from Qingdao, Shandong Province came to Hong Kong for a trip with her husband. Qingdao is also one of the cities newly included in the "Individual Tour" from mainland China to Hong Kong and Macao this year. Ms. Fu remembers her first visit to Hong Kong ten years ago. She and her mother took a group tour and spent 5 days and 4 nights. Although they visited most of the traditional attractions at that time, they only had half a day of free time and had a vague impression of Hong Kong. Therefore, the new policy has brought them great convenience and improved their travel experience in Hong Kong.
On the evening of May 25, a "Doraemon" drone show was staged on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Hong Kong. Many animated characters from the series composed of drones appeared in the night sky, providing citizens and tourists with a wonderful "weekend visual spectacle". meal". Photo by China News Service reporter Hou Yu
It is worth mentioning that the two people who lived in Tsim Sha Tsui during this trip happened to catch up with "Doraemon" to land in Victoria Harbor. They watched the entire drone show from the bar on the top floor of the hotel and spent a "dream night". "I'm really excited and shocked. It feels like I've returned to my childhood."
For Hong Kong's tourism industry, the expansion of independent travel cities will undoubtedly help attract overnight visitors with spending power such as Ms. Fu, thereby achieving the goal of boosting the tourism industry.
"The eight new cities added this time are all provincial capitals, with rapid economic development and high residents' spending power." Huang Jinda, honorary adviser to the Hong Kong Travel Industry Council and director of Kangmei Travel Agency Co., Ltd., told reporters that opening up independent travel will further facilitate local residents to travel to Hong Kong. , engage in business activities and visit relatives, it will help Hong Kong attract more high value-added overnight tourists, which will have a positive impact on Hong Kong’s tourism, hotel, retail, catering and other industries.
Cui Dingbang, Director General of the Hong Kong Tourism Promotion Association, also sees the economic strength of tourists from these cities and believes that their travel intention and shopping demand will be very high, bringing business opportunities to the Hong Kong industry.
Earlier, the Hong Kong Tourism Board estimated that 46 million tourists would visit Hong Kong in 2024. Both Huang Jinda and Cui Dingbang believe that the top priority is "how to provide better services to these tens of millions of tourists, improve their consumption and satisfaction, and be willing to recommend Hong Kong to people around them."
After all, competition in the tourism industry has become fierce after the epidemic. “Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and other places have launched different preferential policies to attract tourists.” The travel patterns of tourists have also changed, tending towards in-depth travel and cultural travel. Huang Jinda feels that the SAR government and the industry have quickly adjusted their strategies under the new situation and actively developed diversified new products, such as the "Doraemon"-themed drone light show, which has achieved remarkable results.
There are countless similar activities. The SAR government recently announced more than 100 "major events" in the second half of the year, covering different fields. Cui Dingbang believes that major events in Hong Kong such as "department stores" are all-encompassing, including light performances suitable for all ages, business meetings, cultural and artistic events. Exhibitions, etc., have prepared many surprises for tourists and also opened up new opportunities for the industry.
