The National Exit-Entry Administration recently announced that starting from March 6, "individual travel endorsements" for eligible persons traveling to and from Hong Kong and Macau will be issued in Xi'an and Qingdao.
In this regard, industry insiders in Macau said that this new arrangement will be conducive to the continued development of tourism and other industries in Hong Kong and Macao, promote cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Macao and the mainland, and promote Hong Kong and Macao to better integrate into the overall development of the country.
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 and the overall economy of Hong Kong and Macao.
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.
In this regard, the Macau tourism industry said that this new arrangement reflects the central government’s active response to the social demands of Hong Kong and Macao and its deep concern for the livelihood and well-being of the people of Hong Kong and Macao.
Director of Macau Government Tourism Office Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes: Last year, our number of mainland tourists in the "individual travel" sector has returned to over 10 million, accounting for about 56% of all our mainland tourists.
Therefore, the development (expansion) of the "individual travel" city will indeed have a very strong support for Macao's tourism.
Zhang Jianzhong, member of the Macau Legislative Assembly and chairman of the Macau Tourism Chamber of Commerce: The opening of Xi'an and Qingdao, two cities with a population of over 10 million, for free travel ("individual travel") to Hong Kong and Macau reflects the central government's close concern for Macau's economic development and tourism construction. All walks of life in Macau, including tourism The whole world was very happy.
(CCTV News Client)