Promoting Economic Development and Enhancing Personnel Exchange - New Arrangements for Mainland Chinese "Personal Tour" Cities in Macao
2024-02-27
Regarding the addition of Xi'an and Qingdao as "individual travel" cities from mainland China to Hong Kong and Macao, the Macao industry has expressed that this arrangement is conducive to the continued development of industries closely related to people's livelihood and employment, such as tourism and retail, promoting the recovery of grassroots service industries and employment, enhancing personnel exchanges, promoting better integration of Hong Kong and Macao into the national development situation, and consolidating and enhancing their unique position and advantages. On the 23rd, the State Administration for Entry and Exit announced that the State Council has recently approved the addition of Xi'an in Shaanxi Province and Qingdao in Shandong Province as "individual travel" cities from mainland China to Hong Kong and Macao. Since the implementation of "personal tours" by mainland residents to Hong Kong and Macao in 2003, the number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong and Macao has significantly increased, driving the sustained development of the tourism industry and even the overall economy in Hong Kong and Macao. With the addition of Xi'an and Qingdao, the number of applicable mainland cities under the "Individual Tour" plan will increase from 49 to 51. Zhang Jianzhong, Chairman of the Macau Tourism Association and President of the Macau Hotel and Tourism Industry Association, stated that opening up "personal tours" in Xi'an and Qingdao will further enhance the enthusiasm and convenience of tourists visiting Hong Kong and Macao. For Hong Kong and Macao, on the one hand, it will further expand the source of high consumption level tourists, promote the development of the tourism economy, and on the other hand, it will also strengthen resident exchanges, deepen compatriots, and promote the integration of Hong Kong and Macao into the overall development of the country. The entire tourism industry in Macau will make full preparations to showcase the unique charm of Macau tourism to tourists from both cities. Li Xi, Executive Vice Dean of the School of International Tourism and Management at City University of Macau, stated that the launch of this policy has provided a broader market foundation for Hong Kong and Macau, reflecting the positive response of the central government to the social demands of Hong Kong and Macau, strong support for the economic development and governance of the SAR government, and deep concern for the well-being of the people in Hong Kong and Macau. This is also an important support for the healthy, stable, and sustainable diversified development of Macao's tourism industry. The just passed Spring Festival holiday has witnessed the strong driving force of mainland residents towards tourism in Macau. According to preliminary statistics, during the Spring Festival holiday (February 10-17), there were nearly 1.36 million inbound tourists to Macau, of which 1.035 million were from mainland China, accounting for 76.2% of the total number of visitors to Macau. The daily average exceeded 129000, an increase of 243% compared to the 2023 Spring Festival holiday. Li Xi said that in the past few years, in the face of the impact of the epidemic, the Macau SAR government has actively responded and taken a series of measures, continuously optimizing tourism reception facilities and upgrading the tourism product system. The tourism reception capacity and capacity have been improved to a certain extent. At the same time, the order of mainland tourism to Hong Kong and Macao is increasingly optimized, and the level of civilized tourism is constantly improving, providing good conditions for increasing arrangements for "personal travel" to cities. At present, there are direct flights between Macau, Qingdao, and Xi'an. The President of the Macau Tourism Council, Hu Jingguang, stated that adding two "personal travel" cities reflects the country's care for Hong Kong and Macao. With the change of passenger travel modes, "personal travel" has become the main mode of travel, and the industry will gradually shift its business direction, explore more tourism resources, continue to improve reception capabilities, and create a better travel experience for passengers in Australia. During the Spring Festival holiday, famous tourist attractions in Macau such as Da San Ba, Ma Ge Temple, and Guan Ye Street can be seen with the busy figures of tour guides waving flags and giving careful explanations. Macau Tour Guide Promotion Association
Edit：He Chuanning Responsible editor：Su Suiyue
Source：Xinhua
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