Mainland Makes It Easier For People To Get HK Visas

Mainland authorities on Thursday announced measures to make it easier for people to visit Hong Kong and Macau.

From Monday, mainlanders will be able to apply for visas at any Exit and Entry Administration office in the country and will no longer be limited to making applications in the place where their household is registered.

Meanwhile, express immigration channels at border crossings will reopen.

"The policy adjustments are made to make it more convenient for personnel exchanges across the border and service exports," the National Immigration Administration said in a statement.

Hong Kong tourism industry lawmaker Perry Yiu welcomed the changes, saying he hopes they will lead to more visitors from the mainland.

"From what we understand, the mainland approved nearly 20 million visas for visits to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in the first quarter of the year. Now that the policy's even more convenient, I believe the visa applications will rise further. We surely hope that the new policy can attract more mainland tourists to come to Hong Kong," he said.

Yiu added that there are still manpower shortages affecting the airport, hotels and travel agencies and urged the government to consider importing labour for the tourism industry.

Fanny Yeung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, also welcomed the mainland's move, saying it will likely attract more individual travellers to Hong Kong.

"Actually it's a resumption like the pre-Covid kind of visa application process, so of course it will bring benefits to the tourism sector. Especially for the individual travellers which visit friends and relatives and also the business travel will be much more easier. I would think they may have more trips because of this visa convenience," she told RTHK.

But Yeung said it won't be a huge boost to the travel sector as flight capacity remains below pre-Covid levels.

"We will estimate in a positive way, it will only [bring] a single-digit growth, so I don't think there will be a surge. That was because of the flight capacity not resumed. So even though we want to operate more tour groups, it is difficult to get a seat and the price is also relatively more expensive."