Travel advisory: Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Stephen Ip says the Individual Visit Scheme will be  extended to nine more Mainland cities from July 1.

The Individual Visit Scheme will be further extended to nine more Mainland cities from July 1, Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Stephen Ip says.

They are Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Taizhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen and Quanzhou.

The Government expects 43 million tourists from the cities will be eligible to visit Hong Kong through the scheme. Mr Ip said he is confident Hong Kong can cope with the visitor surge. There is effective co-ordination among Government departments, he said, and good liaison with Mainland authorities, along with adequate accommodation.

Although difficult to estimate the number of Mainlanders visiting during the coming Labour Day golden week, Mr Ip said he expects the number to exceed that of National Day golden week when about 380,000 came.

Scheme to apply to more cities soon

The Government hopes the scheme will be further extended to more Mainland cities in a progressive and orderly manner. It will review the situation to ensure Hong Kong has sufficient facilities to handle the upsurge.

Noting the extension will not cause additional security problems to Hong Kong, Mr Ip said most Mainland tourists are law abiding. Since the implementation of the scheme, only 191 Mainland tourists have been arrested. The Government understands public concerns, he said, adding that Police will continue action against illegal workers and prostitutes.

Meanwhile, the scheme will be effective in seven more cities in Guangdong Province from May 1. From July, 150 million Mainland tourists from 32 Mainland cities will be eligible to visit Hong Kong through the scheme.

Since its implementation last July, the scheme has brought over 1.6 million tourists and estimated $9 billion.