Guangdong to resume tours

SOUTH China's Guangdong Province will resume organising tourist groups to neighbouring Hong Kong and Macao next month after a SARS-enforced break of five weeks. And Beijing is making preparations to revive the tourism industry.  

The province has also lifted a ban on local residents travelling to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, according to Zheng Tongyang, director of the Guangdong Tourism Bureau.  

“It is the right time to resume travel to Hong Kong as the World Health Organisation (WHO) withdrew its travel-limit advisory on both Guangdong and Hong Kong last week,'' he said.  

Zheng predicted a new boom in overseas travel over the summer holiday period in July and August.  

Guangdong accounted for 80% of mainlanders visiting Hong Kong in previous years and also a large percentage of mainland people travelling to other nations and regions.  

Many local travel agencies were already prepared to restart their Hong Kong and Macao travel business when SARS was brought under control in the middle of May.  

ALL ALONE:Anglers fishing at a nearly empty Forbidden City in Beijing recently.Foreign tourists continue to shun China's capital due to SARS. - Reuterspic

The Guangzhou Travel Corporation has reported that more than 13,000 local residents have registered to tour Hong Kong and Macao. The Guangzhou Railway Travel Agency has introduced preferential prices to attract more tourists.  

The cost of travelling in Hong Kong and Macao has fallen by at least 20% in comparison with the same period last year. – China Daily  

Another perspective from The China Daily, a partner of Asia News Network.