Hong Kong tourism boost: Eight more Chinese cities join solo travel scheme

Eight more Chinese cities have joined a scheme allowing their residents to travel to Hong Kong on their own, rather than as part of a tour group, as part of efforts to boost Hong Kong’s economy.

Hong Kong is battling to revive its economy following a national security crackdown and Covid-related controls, which led to many local and expats leaving the city and caused tourist numbers to dwindle to a fraction of pre-pandemic levels.

The “Individual Visit Scheme” (IVS) began in 2003 as part of a cooperation agreement between mainland China and Hong Kong to boost the city’s…