A new policy giving foreigners visa-free entry to Guangdong from Hong Kong has led to confusion, SAR travel agents told a visiting mainland tourism chief yesterday.
Foreigners have been granted six-day visa-free entry from Hong Kong or Macau to 10 cities in Guangdong since November 9 last year.
Applicants must join tour groups organised by travel agencies and provide personal information to mainland authorities to be granted access.
But many Hong Kong travel agencies complained to the vice-chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Tourism Administration, Su Jianhe, that a lack of co-ordination among mainland border checkpoints had created confusion.
'Very often the information we fax to the mainland gets lost and we can't find anyone to answer us,' said one agency. 'Sometimes we are let in at one border check but refused at another,' said another.
Mr Su admitted there were problems, but added these were to be expected because the policy had only been running for three months. 'We will establish a computer network among the border check stations of the 10 cities. That should be effective in reducing the chance of mistakes.'
