Hong Kong hoped the individual visit scheme can be extended to six more cities in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region so as to bring additional 20 million mainland tourists to Hong Kong, said Chief Executive of Hong Kong Sunday.

Donald Tsang told the media on the sidelines of the on-going National People's Congress meeting in Beijing that he has talked with the National Tourism Administration Director Shao Qiwei on the idea to bring the number of mainland cities under the scheme up to 44.

Hong Kong has kept playing the tourist card in recent years by building more tourist attractions such as Hong Kong Disneyland and Lights Symphony II to attract more visitors.

Talking about economic development in Hong Kong, Tsang said that, with the mainland's robust economic growth and the central government's staunch support, Hong Kong's economy has picked up quickly over the past two years.

While in Beijing, Tsang expects to meet ministers and provincial leaders and explore more cooperative opportunities. He will start to meet Pan-Pearl River Delta Region leaders tomorrow.

(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2006)