Influx of Taiyuan tourists on first day of expanded solo traveler scheme

Tourists from Taiyuan were seen arriving in Hong Kong after the expansion of the solo traveler scheme on Monday. 

It was previously announced that tourists from eight more mainland Chinese cities, including Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, and Hohhot in China’s northern Inner Mongolia autonomous region, will now be able to visit Hong Kong without joining guided tours after Beijing announced an expansion to the solo traveler scheme for visiting the city. 

There were direct flights to Hong Kong from fewer cities on the first day, with only one flight arriving from Taiyuan, Lanzhou, and Urumqi. The remaining five cities did not have any direct flights. 

The direct flights from Taiyuan and Lanzhou arrived in Hong Kong in the morning, while flights from Hohhot and Urumqi were scheduled to arrive in the afternoon. 

Cheung, a traveler from the USA who came to Hong Kong to switch flights back to his hometown of Taiyuan, stated that previously he had not attempted to travel directly from Taiyuan to Hong Kong as he believed a visa was required. However, after hearing of the scheme expansion, he believes it will encourage more people to visit Hong Kong as the pandemic situation has improved and visa issues are no longer a concern. 

Yu, a student in Hong Kong, noted that she remembered her mother taking her to Hong Kong for a trip many years ago, which required applying for a visa in person at the immigration hall—a process that took a full day.

She was glad to hear that free travel is now allowed between Taiyuan and Hong Kong, as it will make it more convenient for her parents to visit, but she hopes more direct flight options between the cities could be provided.