The Hong Kong Tourism Board holds a tourism promotion event in Qingdao, Shandong on March 14. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Hong Kong Tourism Board held a tourism promotion event in Qingdao, Shandong on March 14, introducing the promotional plan for Hong Kong in Qingdao after the opening of individual travel.

People from Qingdao are now eligible to visit the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions in an individual capacity, as the State Council on Feb 23 added the two cities to the Individual Visit Scheme effective March 6.

Pan Feng, director of the Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, stated at the event that the opening of individual travel to Hong Kong for Qingdao citizens is an important milestone in tourism exchange and cooperation between the two cities and marks a new starting point for promoting friendly exchanges between the two places. After the implementation of the new policy, more people from Qingdao are expected to travel to Hong Kong, injecting new momentum into tourism exchange and cooperation between the two cities and providing more convenient and flexible travel options for the general public and tourists.

Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, spoke highly of the new policy and said that the central government approved the addition of Qingdao as a mainland city for individual travel to Hong Kong, making it more convenient for Qingdao citizens to travel to the city and experience its unique atmosphere and scenery.

Dane Cheng, exclusive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said that for the upcoming Qingming and May Day holidays, the board will collaborate with industry players and airlines to launch special products and preferential treatment for visitors from Qingdao.

Statistics show that the tourism industry in Hong Kong is steadily recovering. In 2023, the city received approximately 26.76 million inbound tourists from the mainland, reaching 70 percent of the 2019 level.