Hong Kong’s southbound travel scheme opens to 5 more Greater Bay Area cities

Hong Kong will expand a travel scheme that allows mainland Chinese motorists to enter the city for leisure, opening it to drivers from five more Greater Bay Area cities and doubling the daily quota for urban trips.

Authorities said on Monday that the Southbound Travel Scheme for Guangdong Vehicles would be extended to all nine mainland cities under the Greater Bay Area scheme, up from the current four, while the daily quota for urban trips would be doubled to 200 from July 25 from 100 at present.

“The southbound travel scheme has been implemented in a prudent and orderly manner, and has achieved readiness for further gradual expansion,” Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said.

She said the government would continue to take the scheme forward by enabling the inflow of more mainland tourists, including those with higher purchasing power, to help drive the city’s economic growth while promoting further integration.

Motorists from Shenzhen, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou and Zhaoqing will be eligible to join the scheme. Drivers from Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Jiangmen and Zhongshan are currently eligible.

The bay area refers to Beijing’s initiative to link up Hong Kong, Macau and the nine Guangdong cities into an economic powerhouse.