Hong Kong government presses for more mainland Chinese cities to join tourism scheme, says former chief secretary
Administration refuses to confirm any such plan, while analyst and academics question whether the move would bring many economic benefits
Hong Kong has asked Beijing to allow more mainland cities to join a scheme that allows its residents to travel here without joining tour groups, according to former No 2 official Henry Tang Ying-yen.
But the former chief secretary may have jumped the gun on the announcement in Beijing on Wednesday, as the Hong Kong government refused to confirm it.
READ MORE: Hong Kong to see flat growth in mainland China tourist numbers for next five years
It would be a marked change of stance from last year when Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the scheme should not be expanded amid rising anti-mainland sentiment.
The idea was welcomed by the tourism and retail sector, but considered “short-sighted” by scholars and analysts, as they warned that a further influx of visitors would trigger social conflict again.
Tang, a standing committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, quoted the country’s tourism chief as revealing the Hong Kong government’s bid to attract more mainland visitors.
“According to the National Tourism Administration, the SAR government has raised the possibility of increasing the number of tourists,” Tang said after a meeting with administration chief Li Jinzao. “He did not tell us whether there was a decision yet.”
Under the existing scheme, residents from 49 mostly tier-1 and tier-2 mainland cities can visit Hong Kong as individual travellers. The scheme, first launched in 2003, has not included any new cities since 2007.