China News Service, Macau, March 1 (Reporter Han Xingtong) Regarding the addition of Xi'an and Qingdao as mainland cities for "individual travel" to Hong Kong and Macau, Macau tourism industry insiders said in an interview with reporters on March 1 that this policy will further promote The recovery and development of Macao’s tourism, catering, hotel and other related industries.
The National Exit-Entry Administration issued an announcement on February 23. Recently, the State Council approved the addition of Xi'an City in Shaanxi Province and Qingdao City in Shandong Province as mainland cities for "individual travel" to Hong Kong and Macao.
Since the implementation of "individual travel" for mainland residents to Hong Kong and Macao in 2003, the number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong and Macao has increased significantly, driving the sustainable development of the tourism industry in Hong Kong and Macao and even the overall economy.
With the addition of Xi'an and Qingdao, the number of applicable mainland cities under the "Individual Travel" plan will increase from the original 49 to 51.
Zhang Jianzhong, a member of the Legislative Council of the Macau SAR, chairman of the Macau Tourism Chamber of Commerce, and president of the Macau Hotel and Tourism Chamber of Commerce, told reporters that this expansion of the scope of "individual travel" cities reflects the central government's care and support for the Macau SAR.
Relevant policies will further enhance tourists’ enthusiasm and convenience for traveling to Hong Kong and Macao.
For Macao, on the one hand, it will further expand the source of tourists with high consumption levels and promote the development of the tourism economy. On the other hand, it will also strengthen exchanges between residents of the mainland and Macao, deepen the friendship between compatriots, and promote Macao's integration into the overall development of the country.
Zhang Jianzhong mentioned that under the leadership of the Macau SAR government, Macau is actively building a world tourism and leisure center, implementing the "1+4" moderately diversified development strategy, promoting economic diversification and sustainable development, and has achieved good results.
The industry will continue to optimize the products and services of Macao's tourism industry, enhance its reception capacity, and take practical actions to repay the central government's preferential Macao policies.
The Spring Festival holiday that just passed witnessed the strong driving force of mainland residents for Macau tourism.
According to preliminary statistics, there were nearly 1.36 million visitors to Macau during the Spring Festival holiday (February 10 to 17), of which 1.035 million were from mainland China, accounting for 76.2% of the total number of visitors to Macau. The average daily number was more than 129,000, which is higher than that in 2023. The average daily increase during the Spring Festival holiday was 243%.
Wu Yongwei, president of the Macau Tourist Guide Promotion Association, expressed optimism that the number of tourists visiting Macau this year will exceed 30 million.
He believes that expanding the scope of "individual travel" cities is undoubtedly good news. Xi'an and Qingdao are both cities with relatively good economic development and residents have strong spending power. This policy will have a positive impact on hotel accommodation, retail consumption, transportation and shipping. It has a positive and direct impact, driving the recovery and development of tourism, catering, hotels and other related industries.
Wu Yongwei mentioned that the tourism model is changing after the epidemic, and it is becoming more personalized and in-depth travel. Independent tourists have increased from only 40% of the total number of tourists visiting Macao in the past to 60%. Therefore, the Macao SAR government and the tourism industry should Take targeted measures to improve service quality, professionalism and service attitude.
Li Xi, executive vice president of the School of International Tourism and Management of City University of Macau, said that the introduction of this policy has provided Hong Kong and Macao with a broader market base of tourist sources, reflecting the central government’s active response to the social demands of Hong Kong and Macao and its contribution to the economic development of Hong Kong and Macao. and the SAR government's strong support for the administration, and deep concern for the livelihood and well-being of the people of Hong Kong and Macao.
This is also an important support for the healthy, stable and sustainable diversified development of Macao’s tourism industry.
Li Xi said that in the past few years, in the face of the impact of the epidemic, the Macao SAR government has actively responded and adopted a series of measures, constantly optimizing tourism reception facilities and upgrading the tourism product system, and the tourism reception capacity and capacity have been improved to a certain extent.
At the same time, the order of travel from the mainland to Hong Kong and Macao is increasingly optimized, and the level of civilized tourism continues to improve, which provides good conditions for increasing arrangements for "individual travel" to the city.
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