The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) welcomes and totally supports the signing of the Agreement on Further Enhancement of Tourism Cooperation between the Mainland and Hong Kong by the Hong Kong SAR Government and the China National Tourism Administration.

Under the Agreement, the mainland and Hong Kong will have closer tourism cooperation in various aspects, such as joint development of “Maritime Silk Road” tourism products and joint promotion of “Belt and Road” markets in order to attract international visitors to travel to Hong Kong on multi-destination itineraries, which the TIC strongly believes will greatly benefit the travel industry.

Apart from that, both sides agree to allow more wholly-owned Hong Kong travel agents to operate outbound travel business for mainland residents under the framework of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), which is also conducive to the development of the industry.

Jason Wong, Chairman of the TIC, remarked, “This agreement on tourism cooperation, which is very comprehensive and capable of enhancing tourism cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong, will lay the groundwork for long-term tourism development in both places and become a huge impetus to Hong Kong’s inbound and outbound industries.”