Under the Individual Visit Scheme, tourists can apply for a visa which allows them to stay in Hong Kong or Macau for up to seven days at a time. They can choose from single-entry or double-entry visas valid for three months or a year.

“I thank the central government for its keen concern for Hong Kong and its full support … The central government once again actively responded to the Hong Kong government’s suggestions,” he said.

Lee said at the end of last month that he would urge Beijing to expand the scheme.

“[The expanded scheme] covers all provincial capital cities across the country, carrying great significance for boosting Hong Kong’s tourism industry and overall economic development, and promoting people-to-people ties between mainland and Hong Kong residents,” he said on Saturday.

Lee noted the eight newly added cities all had large populations, high levels of consumption and had recorded rapid economic growth.

He added the move would bring in a huge amount of tourism dollars.

“Further expansion of the individual travel scheme will effectively boost the economic activities of Hong Kong’s tourism, retail, catering, hotel and related industries, bringing a large amount of revenue, and at the same time promoting two-way travel between Hong Kong and different provincial capital cities,” he said.

Tourism minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung also pledged to strengthen coordination and maintain communication with relevant agencies and the industry.

“We’ll strive to establish and enhance direct flight capacity between Hong Kong and the eight cities, while ensuring the smooth operation of border control points, tourist facilities, hotels and public transport networks to welcome tourists,” he said.

The sector has been struggling to recover, with the number of trips to the city over the Labour Day “golden week” holiday earlier this month hitting just two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels.

The growing trends of mainland visitors making only day trips to the city or choosing to spend their nights in cheaper hotels across the border have also added to the pressure.

Some residents in the two cities said the arrangements did not change much, suggesting individual travellers who held group tour visas had made independent trips to Hong Kong for years. Travel agents also said there had been no jump in bookings.

Pang Yiu-kai, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, called the latest expansion a “gift” for the sector, saying Beijing’s decision to update the scheme twice in three months reflected its “full support and confidence” in the city.

He said the eight newly added cities had a combined population of more than 33 million.

“With the new measures facilitating visitor arrivals to Hong Kong, the city will be able to tap into a broader range of source cities and explore new sources of visitors,” Pang said.

The Tourism Board said it would immediately step up promotional activities in these cities, including partnering with mainland social media platforms, the travel trade and airlines to promote the latest offerings.

Hong Kong Tourism Association executive director Timothy Chui Ting-pong also hailed the move as a “big gift” from Beijing and said it would provide a great boost to the industry, which was a key driver for the city’s economic recovery.

“They are all wealthy cities with good spending power. In the past there might not be many chances for them to travel outside. Hong Kong may be their first cross-border destination in recent years,” he said.

“These groups of additional mainland tourists will definitely stay overnight in Hong Kong, with many expected to use up the seven days allowed under the visa.”

Chui also described the expanded scheme as a “strategic move” as it would prove helpful for the city’s role as an aviation hub and a gateway for new groups of mainland tourists to travel to the rest of the world for business purposes.

“It will prompt local airlines to strengthen their capacity and extend their aviation network to provide more direct flights between Hong Kong and these mainland destinations,” he said. “This will definitely enhance Hong Kong’s role as an international aviation hub.”

The Airport Authority said it currently had direct flights with four of the eight additional cities, adding that airlines were planning to start scheduled flights to and from Harbin and add more flights to and from Urumqi next month.

But Simon Lee Siu-po, an honorary fellow at the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, took a less optimistic view of the scheme’s expansion, saying the new initiative would not bring tremendous benefits.

“There will be some positive effects. But the mainland economy continues to be sluggish with shrinking purchasing power,” he said. “It may not produce an immediate result and the impact will only be short term.”

Lee said Hong Kong should avoid relying on mainland authorities for more sweeteners under the solo travel scheme, adding it should focus on strengthening its competitiveness and attraction to overseas tourists.