The Secretary of the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee, Zeng Zanrong, on Wednesday said he expects more Qingdao residents will travel to Hong Kong now their city is included in the Individual Visit Scheme.

“I will definitely expect more Qingdao residents to travel to Hong Kong. I hope that after free travel to Hong Kong is allowed, more mainland residents will be able to travel to Hong Kong, which will help the city become more prosperous,” Zeng, who is also a deputy to the National People’s Congress, told RTHK.

Zeng added that Qingdao is a very famous port and he looks forward to more cooperation with the SAR in shipping and finance.

“We are also looking forward to listing in Hong Kong. In fact, listing in Hong Kong is a good opportunity. There are some Qingdao companies that are willing and getting prepared to go public in Hong Kong.”

Tourism Secretary Kevin Yeung will next week travel to Qingdao and Xi'an, which has also just been added to the Individual Visit Scheme.

Yeung will meet local officials and attend briefings for representatives of the tourism sector.