A TOURISM promotion campaign jointly sponsored by Shenzhen and Hong Kong was launched Monday in Chengdu, capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the Daily Sunshine reported.

The campaign was the first step in tourism cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong since the CEPA took effect, the report said.

Three tourist programs specifically designed for mainland travelers debuted. They will feature five-day tours focusing on folk culture, theme parks and family fun, and promote attractions such as Fairy Lake Botanical Garden and China Folk Culture Villages in Shenzhen and Victoria Peak and Ocean Park in Hong Kong.

Sichuan is the most populated mainland province and is a major tourism market for Hong Kong, said an unidentified Hong Kong tourism development bureau spokesman.

Although Shenzhen is close to Hong Kong, it boasts a unique folk culture and tourism resources and had proven to be an ideal tourism partner for the HKSAR, the spokesman said. He added that both sides were mulling over a plan to enhance their cooperation.

Hong Kong received more than 5 million mainland tourists in 2002, and about 70 percent arrived there via Shenzhen, according to last year's statistics. With additional 24-hour passenger clearance service at Shenzhen-Hong Kong checkpoints, the number was expected to surge in the next couple of years, the report said. 

Editor: Wings