Editorial | Return of multi-entry visas fuels hopes of hitting Hong Kong tourism target
Travel arrangements with mainland China, scrapped by a worried Hong Kong nearly 10 years ago, can expect a different reaction this time
Liberalised cross-border travel arrangements with mainland China scrapped nearly 10 years ago, owing to concerns on the Hong Kong side, have been restored. It says something about how much has changed when a different reaction is expected this time.
Mainland authorities say Shenzhen residents may apply for multiple-entry visas to Hong Kong from December 1, allowing unlimited entry for a year with stays not longer than seven days each time.
The system replaces a “one-trip-per-week” arrangement, which Hong Kong now proposes should be extended to other mainland cities. The measures are aimed at increasing arrivals and reviving tourism to boost economic recovery.
It all adds up to a big move to redress, if not reverse, the greater northward flow of Hongkongers seeking leisure and shopping experiences in Shenzhen.
The multiple-entry visas are comparable with entry permits issued from 2009. They were replaced in 2015 by the one-trip-per-week system following mounting complaints from Hong Kong residents about parallel trading that left essential items such as baby milk formula in short supply, and overcrowding in border towns like Sheung Shui and Tuen Mun.
