Hong Kong should make adjustments to accommodate, rather than limit the massive inflow of tourists from the mainland, Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, a Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee member and former Hong Kong lawmaker, said on Tuesday.

His remarks came after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said recently that the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) covering 49 mainland cities should be tightened, and that he would raise the issue during the ongoing two sessions in Beijing.

Fok called the idea "not a wise one". "I'm against restricting the number of mainland tourists to Hong Kong or scrapping the IVS. The scheme was introduced to boost Hong Kong's economy following the SARS outbreak in 2003 and now Hong Kong's tourism relies mainly on mainland visitors," he said.

Last year, more than 100 million mainland people traveled abroad, with 40 million going to Hong Kong. But, for the first time since the mainland resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the 2015 Spring Festival holidays saw a drop in the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong to 675,155 - from 676,297 during the same period in 2014 - according to the latest statistics.

Moreover, according to Hong Kong's Census and Statistics Department, the value of total retail sales in January this year fell by 14 percent, compared with the same period last year, while that of luxury goods plunged by more than 20 percent.

"Previously, mainland tourists went to Hong Kong mostly for shopping because of the difference in prices of goods due to taxes, but now, they have more channels to buy the same goods elsewhere at prices lower than in Hong Kong," Fok said. "It's now a free market and mainland tourists have more choices apart from Hong Kong," he said. "We should think how to keep Hong Kong as the No 1 outbound tourism destination for mainland residents."

He said as society continues to undergo changes, adjustments are needed. Hong Kong has the best chance and should make active adjustments to better participate in the country's rapid development instead of solely counting on favorable policies from the central government, Fok said.

He said the Nansha Free Trade Area (FTA) in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, which received approval from the State Council last year, is a big opportunity Hong Kong should make good use of to enhance economic cooperation with the mainland.

The Nansha FTA would be most suitable to develop tourism in Fok's plan.

"People are now paying more attention to environmental issues. During the two sessions, many CPPCC National Committee members mentioned, for example, low-carbon and ecological concerns," he said. "A blue sky and a clear environment are what people want. I hope what we're promoting in the Nansha FTA is more about such a lifestyle and for the moment, there's no clear plan for real estate development."

xiaolixin@chinadaily.com.cn

Hong Kong is urged to accommodate more mainland visitors, which pillar the city's tourism industry. Brent Lewin / Bloomberg

(HK Edition 03/11/2015 page9)