Shenzhen authorities have announced that multiple-entry individual visit endorsements for Shenzhen residents will be limited to one visit per week from today, Chief Executive CY Leung has said.
Mr Leung told reporters this morning that multiple-entry visas that have already been issued will not be affected by the new policy, so it will take some time before its effect can be seen.
He added that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government had put forward its proposal for visa curbs to the Central Government last June because of growing concerns about the city's capacity to handle an increasing number of visitors.
The Chief Executive explained that it had taken nearly a year for the Central authorities to announce the new policy because it was a major move that needed preparatory work.
He also thanked the Central, Guangdong and Shenzhen authorities for their understanding.
Stressing that the new restrictions are meant to crack down on illegal parallel trading activities, Mr Leung said Hong Kong welcomes travellers from the Mainland and all over the world, adding that the Government will launch promotional campaigns soon to attract more visitors to the city.
