IVS extended to eight more cities in late May

The Individual Visa Scheme (IVS) for travel to Hong Kong and Macau has been officially extended to eight more cities in the mainland, the National Immigration Administration announced Saturday.

The measure, which begins May 27, has extended this popular visa type to the provincial capital cities of Taiyuan (Shanxi); Hohhot (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region); Harbin (Heilongjiang); Lhasa (Tibet Autonomous Region); Lanzhou (Gansu); Xining (Qinghai); Yinchuan (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region); and Urumqi (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region).

The announcement was received with the praise of the Chief Executive (CE), Ho Iat Seng, who said Macau “would fully seize the opportunities brought by this favorable measure.”

The CE said the measure presents “an exciting opportunity in terms of population size,” and, “It would undoubtedly mean stronger economic benefits for Macau’s retail and tourism industries.”

Ho also said the government will work with the different tourism-related industries, to optimize Macau’s tourism facilities and enhance the city’s capabilities to receive visitors, so this opportunity can result in a real contribution to the economy.

Among the preparations that the government is making, the CE noted there is a new committee established to address the organization of the major events, as well as the bid to enrich the content of exhibitions and trade to offer more diverse experiences to tourists.