Officials have said they are in talks with central authorities on measures to attract more mainland tourists to Hong Kong, including possibly adding more cities to the visit scheme.
At present, people from 49 mainland cities can travel to Hong Kong twice a year and stay up to a week each time.
Caspar Tsui, executive director of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners, told an RTHK programme that it would be a shot in the arm for the trade if the scheme was expanded.
“In fact, many second- and third-tier mainland cities now have very high purchasing power. To attract more tourists staying overnight, it would definitely be good to allow more visitors from cities more than an hour away to come to Hong Kong,” he said.
“The next step is planning cultural, sports, tourism, and conference…
