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Carrie Chan

Authorities expect a boom in tourism thanks to visits deal struck under Cepa

Expatriates and foreign visitors in Hong Kong  will soon be given visa-free access to Shenzhen as part of new measures under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement  (Cepa).

Chi Xiongbiao,  head of the Shenzhen Tourism Administration, said about 800,000 foreigners who visit the special economic zone via Hong Kong would benefit from the new measure.

It is understood that Shenzhen Mayor Li Hongzhong will visit the city next month to sign agreements  on issues related to Cepa at a Guangdong-Hong Kong joint conference.

The deal is expected to include the visa-free arrangement and measures on transport, immigration checkpoints, and finance and securities services.

Mr Chi said: 'There is no timetable but we hope to reach this agreement as soon as possible. I don't see any difficulties in giving visa-free access to foreigners who pass through Hong Kong.'

Expats and foreign visitors usually pay $210 for a one-time mainland entry visa, or $850 for multiple entries valid for six months.  Charges for visitors from certain places, such as the United States, are even higher.

Mr Chi said that with the visa-free arrangement, Shenzhen officials would step up joint promotions with Hong Kong in overseas and other mainland cities. He added that both sides would also work together to tackle tourism-related complaints.

'About 70 per cent of individual travellers on the mainland stop over in Shenzhen before they arrive in Hong Kong. In this sense, both cities are facing the same domestic market,' he said.

Latest figures show that  1.02 million individual travellers from 16 mainland cities came to Hong Kong between last July and January this year.

Travel Industry Council chairman Ronnie Ho Pak-ting  welcomed the move. 'With the immigration rules relaxed, tour operators could develop new travel itineraries within the Pearl River Delta. Visitors would have greater incentives to visit the region,' he said.



Expats and foreign visitors set for visa-free access to Shenzhen