Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung today finished a three-day visit to Xi'an and Qingdao, where he met provincial leaders and attended briefing sessions to promote Hong Kong tourism.
 

The Individual Visit Scheme was expanded to cover to Xi’an and Qingdao from March 6, bringing the number of Mainland cities included under the scheme to 51.
 

Mr Yeung said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government had immediately launched publicity activities in the two cities with a view to offering quality services to travellers from Xi’an and Qingdao.
 

He also thanked the central government for its positive response to the Hong Kong SAR Government’s proposal to enhance the scheme, adding that the expansion will be very conducive to the development of Hong Kong’s tourism sector.
 

Arriving in Xi’an on March 12, he met Shaanxi Vice Governor Xu Mingfei and Shaanxi’s Department of Culture & Tourism Director Gao Yang to discuss ways of strengthening and developing tourism ties between Hong Kong and Xi’an.
 

Mr Yeung then continued his trip the next day in Qingdao, where he met Qingdao Mayor Zhao Haozhi and the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee Deputy Secretary Zhang Hui separately to exchange views on driving tourism developments.
 

Mr Yeung will return to Hong Kong tonight.