Two tourist groups left Guangzhou, Guangdong province, for Hong Kong by high speed train, while another two groups took special coaches to Macao for sightseeing on Monday morning.

The four tourists groups, comprising more than 100 tourists, are the first batch of Chinese mainland residents to travel to the two SARs in three years, indicating the comprehensive recovery of the group travel business from the mainland to Hong Kong and Macao starting on Monday.

According to Zhao Wenzhi, president of GZL International Travel Service, mainland residents' confidence to tour Hong Kong and Macao has grown after the country optimized its COVID-19 measures and both Guangdong and Hong Kong governments agreed to simplify exit-entry procedures for residents to go across the border for sightseeing.

Zhao believed the peak of Hong Kong and Macao tours would be during the upcoming Qingming Festival holiday in April and the Labor Day holiday.

Statistics from Zhao's company indicate that more than 1,000 Guangzhou residents will visit Hong Kong and Macao by train, bus, plane and ferry in the coming week.

Wen Qian, vice-president of the travel service, said her company has carefully studied and organized special Hong Kong and Macao tour routes to attract tourists.

She promised the company would provide even better services to the tourists who travel Hong Kong and Macao in the months to come.

To welcome the tourists, all walks of life in Hong Kong and Macao have organized rich and varied courtesies to the first group of tourists from the mainland.

Tan Yingting, a tourist from Guangzhou, said she was happy to visit Hong Kong again after three years.

In addition to visiting Disneyland and major scenic spots, she will enjoy delicious food in Hong Kong. Another tourist, surnamed Lin, said he visits Hong Kong mainly for shopping, as he has not toured it for more than three years because of COVID-19.