The Hong Kong Tourism Board said 1.74 million people visited Hong Kong in April, 330,000 more than ever before in that month, and three times the number who came last year at the height of Sars.

Visitor numbers were up 24 per cent on April 2002. Travellers from the mainland made up the majority of the month's arrivals, at 908,741, of whom 225,712, or a quarter, travelled as individuals.

Liaoning officials said yesterday they were eager to see the 107 million residents of the three rust-belt provinces join the 150 million mainlanders already spared the need to join tour groups to visit Hong Kong and Macau.

Ying Zhongyuan, the deputy director of the travel and tourism administration in Liaoning, said officials planned to begin discussing the idea with the Hong Kong Tourism Board in August. He said more than 70,000 Liaoning residents visited Hong Kong each year and the number would double if they were eligible for the solo travel scheme.

'We hope the day of relaxation of restrictions will come as early as possible,' Mr Ying said.

He said he believed the other two northeastern provinces, Jilin and Heilongjiang, were also keen on joining the scheme.

Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, chairwoman of the Tourism Board, said Liaoning residents were eager for outbound travel.

The scheme began a year ago, when residents of eight cities in Guangdong were spared the need to travel in groups to Hong Kong. Since then, it has been progressively expanded to all Guangdong residents, and to those in Beijing and Shanghai. Cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian will join the scheme next month.

Visitors under the scheme have deep pockets, with each of them spending an estimated $5,000 per trip.

With the addition of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang to the scheme, urban residents of most of China's coastal provinces would be eligible to come to Hong Kong.