A travel mission organized by the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) left for Shanghai November 24 in an effort to further strengthen cooperation with its mainland counterparts.

As the first travel mission to Shanghai organized by the HKTA since its opening of the Shanghai office on October 15, the delegation comprises nearly 50 representatives from 35 hotels, travel agents and travel-related enterprises in Hong Kong.

The delegation will begin its three-day visit by meeting with 130 representatives from the Shanghai Municipal People's Government Tourism Administrative Commission and the local travel trade. It will also take part in various activities, including a Hong Kong product update seminar, a "Contract Hong Kong" function and luncheons.

In recent years, the mainland has become Hong Kong's largest source of visitors. Visitor arrivals from the mainland in 1998 alone totaled 2.6 million, an increase of 13 percent over 1997.

The Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang region is the second largest source market after Guangdong, accounting for more than 15 percent of the mainland's total arrivals. (Xinhua)