February 27, 2024
By Jasmine Chen Qu
The Chinese government has revealed that citizens of the cities of Xi’an and Qingdao would be allowed to apply to visit Hong Kong and Macau, which seems like significant news for the travel retail industry.
According to the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau announcement from Beijing on 23rd Feb, the first day of applications for permission to travel alone is March 6. The revised program allows tourists from the two cities in Mainland China to visit Hong Kong once or twice in a year, contingent on the duration of their permission, and to remain for a maximum of seven days each time.
The program, which hasn’t altered in the past 16 years, is about to be extended to new cities, including those in the province of Heilongjiang, the far northeast corner of China. It currently covers 49 cities in Mainland China, including first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and all 21 cities in Guangdong province.
More Chinese cities will be added to the individual visit program, which is good news for Hong Kong, the city that wants to grow its economy by attracting more tourists.
Recent comments made by Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Hong Kong’s No. 2 official, highlighted continuing discussions meant to expand the program. The possibility of a multiple-entry system is being discussed as a way to increase the number of people from second and third tier who can independently take advantage of Hong Kong’s services.
At the moment, the average consumption of a visitor visiting Hong Kong is not very high. Therefore, boosting tourism numbers could be a short-term fix to make up for low per-tourist expenditure.
There is a tendency for tourists from nearby mainland Chinese cities, such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou, to go to Hong Kong for one-day tourism. There are several reasons that may contribute to the trend.
Hong Kong has experienced significant economic development over the past few decades, and as a result, the cost of living in the city has increased. This has made buying goods and services in Hong Kong less affordable for mainland Chinese tourists, who often come to the city seeking bargains. As a result, many mainland tourists have opted to visit Hong Kong for just one day, to take advantage of the city’s shopping opportunities without having to spend too much money on accommodation and other expenses.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the tourism industry in Hong Kong. With travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in place, many mainland Chinese tourists have been unable or unwilling to travel to Hong Kong. However, as restrictions have eased and transportation options have become more convenient, some mainland tourists are once again considering visiting the city.
One factor contributing to the convenience of travel between Hong Kong and mainland China is the availability of both train and subway options. The high-speed rail link between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, for example, has made it possible for tourists to travel between the two cities in just a few hours. Similarly, the opening of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge has made it easier for mainland tourists to access the city.
Despite these factors, some mainland tourists may be losing interest in Hong Kong as a travel destination. As other cities in China continue to develop and offer new attractions and experiences, some tourists may choose to explore other destinations instead of returning to Hong Kong.
However, if the expansion can really bring benefits and changes to Hong Kong economy development still remains in doubt.
Before Xi’an and Qingdao were added to the Hong Kong solo traveler scheme, the citizens from the two cities could only apply for L visa, while now they are able to apply for G visa.
G visa is an “individual travel visa”. It has city restrictions. The holder can enter and exit Hong Kong freely without going out in a group, and fly directly to Hong Kong from mainland China. L visa is a “group travel visa”. If the holder wants to travel to Hong Kong, he or she has to go with a group, and with the L visa, travellers cannot fly directly to Hong Kong.
However, this is not the case in practice. You Tian, a 22-year-old Xi’an girl, shared how she and her family used to visit Hong Kong when she was a child.
According to Tian, going to to Hong Kong with an L visa, you need to apply for a group visa form. That is, you can “pretend” that you are with the group. So before they go to Hong Kong, often they will find a travel agency at the port or buy this group signing form on a certain website. The cost ranges from a few yuan to more than a hundred yuan.
Effective from August 5, 2017, group travelers with “L” endorsement going to Hong Kong through all ports no longer need to sign through travel agencies, they can choose to go through the customs themselves. There are no staff checking if the tourist’s visa is G or L.
“In fact, there is no difference between group visa and individual visa for a long time. The introduction of this announcement really makes people wonder whether the people who made it have done research to understand the actual situation of entering and exiting Hong Kong, instead of sitting in the office and researching it,” said Tian.
“They should at least change the group visa and individual visa from 7 days to 10 days to make the new policy be regarded as an actual change,” the girl added.
Reported by Jasmine Chen Qu
Edited by Cherrie Lee and Micol Stano