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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city

Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA)

Hotels (including Apartment Buildings) and Restaurants

Liberalisation Measures under CEPA

The Agreement on Trade in Services covers and consolidates commitments relating to liberalisation of trade in services provided in CEPA and its Supplements and also the Agreement between the Mainland and Hong Kong on Achieving Basic Liberalisation of Trade in Services in Guangdong.

Agreement on Trade in Services
Liberalisation Measures under Cross-border Services (Positive List)
Sectors or Sub-sectors
  • 9. Tourism and travel related services
    • A. Hotels (including apartment buildings) and restaurants (CPC641-643)
    • B. Travel agency and tour operator (CPC7471)
    • C. Tourist guides services (CPC7472)
    • Others
Specific commitments
      1. To allow residents of Beijing and other Mainland municipalities (a total of 49 municipalities) to visit Hong Kong individually for tourism, among which to allow the same in respect of the whole of Guangdong Province not later than 1 July 2004.
      2. Optimising the current "144-hour facilitation visa" policy in Guangdong Province through relaxing the requirement to pre-register the outbound control point, and reviewing the requirement regarding tour size at an appropriate juncture.
      3. Optimising the "144-hour visa-exemption transit" policy for foreign group tours entering the Pearl River Delta Area and Shantou from Hong Kong through increasing the number of inbound control points and expanding the area allowed to stay.
      4. To allow Hong Kong permanent residents with Chinese citizenship to take the "Mainland Qualification Examination for Tourist Guide". Those who have passed the examination can obtain the "Mainland Tourist Guide Certificate" and register to obtain tourist guide credential in accordance with the relevant requirements. Those who have obtained the Mainland tourist guide credential can become Mainland outbound tour escort by filing of records (excluding tour escort credential for outbound group tours to Taiwan) in accordance with the relevant requirements.
      5. Mainland travel agents authorised to operate group tours to Taiwan can organise group tours for Mainland residents who hold valid exit/entry permit for travelling to and from Taiwan and travel endorsement (type L) to enter and remain in Hong Kong in transit. This measure aims to facilitate travel trade in the Mainland and Hong Kong to develop multi-destination tour products.
      6. To allow contractual service providers employed by Hong Kong service suppliers, in the mode of movement of natural persons, to provide services under this sector or sub-sector in the Mainland.
Reserved Restrictive Measures under Commercial Presence (Negative List)
Sector

Sub-sector

9. Tourism and Travel Related Services
  •  
  • A. Hotels and restaurants (CPC641-643)
Obligations concerned National Treatment
Reserved Restrictive
Measures
Commercial Presence
Apply national treatment.
   
Sector

Sub-sector

9. Tourism and Travel Related Services
  •  
  • B. Travel agencies and tour operators services (CPC7471)
Obligations concerned National Treatment
Reserved Restrictive
Measures
Commercial Presence
The number of travel agents set up on a wholly-owned basis operating outbound group tours for Mainland residents on a pilot basis to destinations beyond Hong Kong and Macao (excluding Taiwan) is restricted to 5.
   
Sector

Sub-sector

9. Tourism and Travel Related Services
  •  
  • C. Tourist guides services (CPC7472)
Obligations concerned National Treatment
Reserved Restrictive
Measures
Commercial Presence
Apply national treatment.
   
Sector

Sub-sector

9. Tourism and Travel Related Services
  •  
  • D. Other
Obligations concerned National Treatment
Reserved Restrictive
Measures
Commercial Presence
Apply national treatment.

For details about the cooperation in tourism under the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation (Ecotech Agreement), please refer to the Ecotech Agreement.