Hong Kong Expands Solo Travel Scheme to Include More Chinese Cities

The initiative aims to rejuvenate Hong Kong's tourism sector by allowing residents from eight additional mainland cities to visit without group tours.

• The expanded Individual Visit Scheme now covers cities from remote regions including Inner Mongolia, Tibet, and Xinjiang.
• Local businesses remain skeptical despite the expansion, citing low foot traffic and high shop vacancy rates.
• Recent security laws and economic challenges have led to significant business closures and a drop in expatriate populations.
• Authorities hope the scheme will boost local spending and attract long-stay tourists from newly included cities.
• The scheme's expansion is part of broader efforts to recover from economic downturns caused by the pandemic and political instability.

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Voice of America (VOA News) South China Morning Post South China Morning Post