Businesses in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) anticipate an increase in individual visitors from mainland China, as more cities join the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS). The National Immigration Administration announced that Xi'an and Qingdao will be added to the IVS list, bringing the total number of designated mainland cities to 51.
This expansion is warmly welcomed by Hong Kong's tourism industry, with Cathay Pacific Airways preparing to increase flight capacity to these cities. Flights between Hong Kong and Xi'an are expected to increase to five times per week, providing an additional 800 seats. Additionally, a larger aircraft with an extra 360 seats per week will operate on the Qingdao-Hong Kong route.
