Exit, entry policies optimized
2023-05-12 15:38
As immigration policies have become more flexible, more tailored package products will emerge. The policy of applying for travel permits at any immigration center provides great convenience for tourists, who are not restricted to their place of departure, Lin said.
Ways of traveling to Hong Kong and Macao are also becoming more diversified. In April, high-speed rail services to and from Hong Kong resumed from cities such as Chongqing, Zhengzhou in Henan province, Changsha in Hunan province and Kunming in Yunnan province.
Fang Zhibo, head of the border inspection division of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection Station in Guangdong province, said that the station has been using fast-lane services since Jan 8, and the latest policy adjustment will further facilitate the entry and exit of residents from the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign nationals, and the number of cross-border travelers is expected to increase after the implementation of the policy.
"We will complete the inspection system upgrade and optimize the allocation of police officers, strengthen assistance offered to special groups such as the elderly, and serve the vast number of tourists," Fang said.
Fanny Yeung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, said that the new measures are good news for the tourism industry. However, it is not expected that there will be a large increase in mainland visitors very soon, and Hong Kong's reception capacity also needs to be improved.