A first group of 60 Shanghainese got their passports for
personal tours to Hong
Kong and Macao on Monday,
according to the Shanghai
Tourism Administration.
"Shanghai people are especially enthusiastic about Hong Kong and
it has been a long tradition," Wang Guangrong, market
administration director with the commission, told China
Daily yesterday.
Local exit-entry authorities began to accept individual
applications for tours to Hong Kong and Macao on August 18 and more
than 100 applications have been filed by local residents every day
since then, said Wang.
The commission has established a special consultancy department
for individual tours to Hong Kong and Macao and is working together
with Hong Kong tourism authorities to develop more tourism products
for Shanghai residents and to train more local tour guides,
according to Wang.
Selina Chow, chairperson of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said
yesterday that since a Hong Kong entry visa is valid for three
months, mainland travelers can choose the time to come in order to
avoid the peak period.
Lui Che-Woo, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel
Owners, said yesterday that the room tariffs are very reasonable,
adding that no unfair attempts are being made to raise the
rates.
On August 20, residents in south China's Guangdong
Province were the first to start taking individual trips to
Hong Kong and Macao, and now Shanghai and Beijing
residents are following in their steps.
In Beijing, Ma Zhenchuan, director-general of the Beijing Public
Security Bureau, said at a press conference yesterday that the
simplification of the application procedures will help promote
travel between Beijing and Hong Kong and Macao, as well as other
regions.
The new regulation on entry and exit management was welcomed by
local residents.
In Beijing yesterday, a retired couple, Du Chengxiang and Jin
Yu, presented their applications for individual travel to Hong
Kong.
"The reform in entry and exit procedures makes it convenient for
us to visit my daughter whenever we wish," said 65-year-old Du,
whose daughter works in Hong Kong.
(China Daily September 2, 2003)