IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM
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The demand for travel documents continues to rise, and the number of British passports issued exceeded the record level of 1967, when demand was exceptionally high because of the disturbances. Fees for travel documents were increased during the year, but at the same time the period of validity of several travel documents was extended; for example, passports are now normally issued valid for 10 years as in the United Kingdom, whilst the initial validity of certificates of identity was increased from three to five years.
The number of new applications for naturalisation seems to have settled down at approximately 90 per month, compared with 50 per month prior to 1967. The backlog of naturalisation applica- tions which had built up following the unprecedented increase in demand in 1967 and 1968 has now been overcome.
The Immigration Department acts as the agent in Hong Kong in passport and immigration matters for the United Kingdom Govern- ment and the Governments of many other Commonwealth coun- tries, and a notable event in this sphere was the introduction in July of the new immigration appeals procedure in the United Kingdom, whereby a person has a right of appeal to an adjudicator in the United Kingdom if a visa or entry certificate for the United Kingdom is refused in Hong Kong.
An independent survey of all aspects of the work of the Immigra- tion Department was carried out during the year by a senior govern- ment administrator. Certain changes in procedure and increases in staff and training facilities to enable the department to offer a better service to the public were recommended.
TOURISM
The strong growth of Hong Kong's tourist industry was further stimulated during the year by the influx of visitors to the Far East for Japan's Expo '70. The great majority of overseas visitors to Expo also visited Hong Kong. Not counting the still important but gradually decreasing numbers of military personnel coming to Hong Kong for rest and recreation visits, the total number of visitors in 1970 was 927,256, compared to the 1969 total of 765,213, an in- crease of 21.18 per cent. It is estimated by the Hong Kong Tourist
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