Policy Address

Develop New Tourist Hotspots

131. The Government will set up a Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots. Led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, it will strengthen cross departmental co-ordination and leverage community efforts, identifying and developing tourist hotspots of high popularity and with strong appeal in various districts.

Increase Tourist Arrivals

132. The HKSAR Government has proposed to the Central Government further enhancements on Mainland residents' tourism visit endorsements to Hong Kong, including resuming the "multiple-entry" Individual Visit Endorsements for Shenzhen residents and expanding the coverage of pilot cities for implementing policies on the "one trip per week" Individual Visit Endorsements. The Central Government has advised that relevant departments are studying the expedited implementation of the proposal proactively.

133. To foster closer people ties with ASEAN countries, starting today, the Government will relax the criteria for nationals of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar applying for multiple-entry visas for travel and business, and extend the validity period of multiple-entry visas for these countries from two years to three years. The arrangement also applies to Vietnamese, who have benefitted from the relaxation of the visa policy since last year. Under a fast-track arrangement, we will expedite the processing of visa applications from group visitors of ASEAN countries submitted via local travel agents. In addition, we will provide self-service immigration clearance for invited persons participating in business, development and related activities from the 10 ASEAN countries, and provide one-stop handling of their applications for self-service immigration clearance and visa through a dedicated desk. Various bureaux will provide assistance in drawing up the list. Effective today, the requirement for visitors to furnish an arrival or departure card is cancelled, facilitating a faster and more convenient immigration clearance.