STRENGTHEN MEASURES TO DEVELOP MAINLAND MARKET, SAYS HKTB CHAIRMAN

At a Legislative Council debate this afternoon (30 May) Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Chairman, The Hon Mrs Selina Chow, JP, expressed her support for the motion “to attract eligible persons from the Mainland to invest and spend money in Hong Kong”.

Initiatives that can make it easier for Mainland business and leisure visitors to travel to Hong Kong should also be strengthened, Mrs Chow added.

Mainland China is the largest source market for Hong Kong, as well as a favoured destination for Hong Kong travellers. In 2000, Hong Kong welcomed 3.79 million visitors from the Mainland. Their total spending amounted to HK$18.3 billion. The “tourism deficit” between these destinations is believed to be large, although actual visitor arrivals and spending of Hong Kong residents on the Mainland is not known.

Mrs Chow was a member of the Hong Kong SAR Government’s “Go West” Hong Kong delegation. While in Beijing, she met representatives of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office under the State Council; the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA); and the Public Security Bureau, to discuss ways of streamlining the quota system and travel permits for leisure and business travellers from the Mainland.

“Currently Mainland visitors have to go through several steps to obtain travel permits for Hong Kong. The whole process takes a long time and these permits are only valid for one year,” Mrs Chow said. “We hope that the authorities can issue travel permits with longer validity periods. Also, applications for business travel permits should be further streamlined.”

During the trip in Beijing, Mrs Chow noted that CNTA is going to announce in September the names of 13 additional travel agents to handle bookings for Hong Kong trips, bringing the total to 17 agents. At present, travel agents in Hong Kong are not authorised to handle these bookings. Mrs Chow hopes that the authorities can look into and improve the situation, thereby bringing more benefits to Hong Kong’s travel trade.

“While we are opening the Mainland market, we must also attract more repeat visitors. Mainland visitors are no longer satisfied with just attractions. They also want to experience the life and vibrancy of Hong Kong. We therefore need to tailor travel packages that meet their needs and expectations,” she added.



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The Hong Kong Tourism Board was formerly known as the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA). The change took effect from 1 April 2001 and reflects a change to the tourism body’s constitutional structure. Its primary responsibilities for marketing and promoting Hong Kong as a destination worldwide, and for providing visitors with assistance when they arrive, remain unchanged.