The addition of eight Chinese cities to Hong Kong’s solo travel scheme will be “a timely boost” for the hotel and retail sectors, a veteran industry representative has said. The move by Beijing will allow more citizens to visit the city without joining a group tour.
On Saturday, Beijing announced the individual visit scheme will 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 capitals of their respective provinces.
From May 27, residents from those areas may visit Hong Kong on their own, and may stay for up to seven days at a time.
Launched in 2003, the individual visit scheme allows residents from designated mainland cities to travel to the city without joining a tour group. They can apply for single-entry or double-entry visa valid for…
