HONG KONG -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Wednesday welcomed the announcement by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) on implementing the policy of allowing visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships at provinces along the country's coastline.

According to the NIA, starting from Wednesday, tourist groups each consisting of two foreigners or more, and organized or received by Chinese travel agencies, can enter China visa-free on board cruise ships via all cruise ports in China. The tourists can stay in China for no longer than 15 days.

A spokesman for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) of the HKSAR government, said that the new policy measures announced by the NIA will attract international cruise lines to develop more cruise itineraries involving Chinese mainland ports and Hong Kong, leveraging Hong Kong's role as a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism and promoting the development of Hong Kong's cruise industry.

The CSTB will continue to enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness as Asia's cruise hub through various measures, and seize the opportunities brought about by the development of the country's cruise industry, the spokesman said.