Lee said his administration was targeting big spenders in its efforts to lure tourists from across the border and he would call on mainland authorities to add more cities to an individual visitor scheme that was expanded earlier this year.

“I will continue to report on Hong Kong’s situation to the central government, as well as discuss and actively fight for more measures that benefit and support Hong Kong,” he said.

“In particular, I will be fighting for more mainland cities to be opened up for individual visits to Hong Kong, so we can allow more high-spending mainland compatriots to come to the city.”

He said such arrivals could boost the city’s “popularity and prosperity”.

Be ‘mentally prepared’ for changes to Hong Kong fireworks amid rain: minister

Beijing in February added Xian and Qingdao to the Individual Visit Scheme, which already covered 49 mainland cities including many first-tier ones such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing.

The scheme allows residents of these cities to visit Hong Kong on their own rather than by joining tour groups. Tourists can make one or two visits to Hong Kong and Macau within three months or a year, with each trip limited to seven days.

Lee has previously said residents of Xian and Qingdao are categorised as high-income and high-spending consumers, with the measure helping to lure such overnight visitors.

Addressing concerns over possible changes to the planned pyrotechnics display at Victoria Harbour on Wednesday, the chief executive said authorities would keep residents and visitors updated as the city braced for more heavy rain and thunderstorms.

“We will do our best. But of course, the weather is always unpredictable,” Lee said.

The display will be the first in a series of similar events announced in Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s latest budget, with Wednesday’s show including patterns such as smiley faces and the letters “HK” as the pyrotechnics soar up to 100 metres (328 feet) into the night sky.

Lee said a wide range of activities had been arranged to welcome visitors during the holiday period and the government would do its best to ensure tourists enjoyed their time in the city.

The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau had already organised meetings to ensure preparations were on track in areas such as border crossings, he said.

The government predicted the city would log 5.9 million arrivals and departures during the break, which lasts five days on the mainland.

Lee said staff from the city’s Tourism Commission would also be deployed to ensure that arrangements were functioning smoothly.

Thousands of visitors were left stranded at border crossings and train stations after watching the New Year’s Eve fireworks in January, with authorities earlier vowing to avoid a repeat of the chaos for future mega events.

Hong Kong tourism sector hoping for 30% bump in visitors over ‘golden week’

Hong Kong Tourism Association executive director Timothy Chui Ting-pong said that the previous expansion of the scheme to Xian and Qingdao were beneficial to the city, noting it had helped to expand the pool of potential visitors.

He said the government could consider expanding it to cities in the northeastern mainland provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, as such visitors would be encouraged to stay overnight because of the longer travel distances.

These mainland cities would also benefit from a mutual travel relationship with Hong Kong as residents could visit them also, he added.

Turning to Wednesday’s pyrotechnics show, Chui said travellers were likely to understand if bad weather resulted in it being cancelled, adding that it was only an addition to attractions available in the city.

“If it got to the point where the show had to be cancelled due to the weather, the visitors themselves would understand,” he said. “If they were soaked during the display, they would probably be even more disappointed.”

Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun welcomed the government’s call for the expansion of the individual visitor scheme, but also urged authorities to pay attention to luring overseas tourists, pointing to the success of the recent Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.

He added that his party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, had also called for the introduction of more halal food to attract visitors from Arabic countries.

Separately, the chief executive touched on measures announced by the mainland’s National Immigration Administration on Sunday, which included an extension to the length of stay for business visa holders to Hong Kong and Macau. A scheme for mainland talent will also be expanded to cover those in Beijing and Shanghai.

Lee noted the measures would benefit around 100 million individually owned firms, as well as boost the amount of talent heading to the city and help the local economy.