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No change to Mainland visitor plan

May 04, 2016

The Government has no plans to resume multiple-entry individual visit endorsements for Shenzhen residents, but will focus on attracting more high-spending overnight visitors to Hong Kong, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Gregory So says. 

 

Speaking at a Legislative Council meeting today, Mr So said the Government will continue monitoring the effect of the "one trip per week" measure and liaise with the Central Government on the overall arrangements for Mainland residents travelling to Hong Kong.

 

Noting that a drop in Mainland visitors was expected since the "one trip per week" measure was implemented more than a year ago, he said factors including the weakening external economy, competition from neighbouring travel destinations and incidents initiated by a small number of radicals against Mainland visitors have also affected their desire to visit Hong Kong.

 

Despite the drop in Mainland visitors, Mr So noted that increased tourism promotion has led to a 5.4% year-on-year increase in non-Mainland visitor arrivals in the first quarter of this year.

 

He also outlined the Government's measures to boost tourism, including waiving licence fees for travel agents, hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and hawkers for one year; expanding the scale of major events to be held this year; and enhancing publicity to repackage Hong Kong's image.

 

On public concerns about the impact more tourists would have on people's livelihoods, Mr So said the Government has comprehensively assessed Hong Kong's capacity to receive tourists and cited its work on the public transport and anti-parallel trading fronts.



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