Whether visa free foreigners in Hong Kong can apply for tourist visas depends on the situation:
Travel to Chinese Mainland:
Visa application is not required if the conditions are met: foreigners who hold ordinary passports of countries with diplomatic relations with China and have been in Hong Kong may be exempted from visa application if they travel in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province in groups through travel agencies legally registered in Hong Kong and stay for no more than 6 days; Citizens of some countries holding ordinary passports who have been approved by the China National Tourism Administration to travel in groups to Hainan Province through international travel agencies registered in Hainan, and stay for no more than the corresponding number of days, can also be exempted from visa application.
Visa application is required beyond the visa free scope: if the visa free foreigners in Hong Kong want to travel to other regions of Chinese Mainland and do not meet the above visa free conditions, they can usually apply for a tourist visa, and they need to apply for a tourist (L) visa from Chinese embassies and consulates in foreign countries.
Traveling to other countries or regions: Foreigners who are visa free in Hong Kong can apply for corresponding tourist visas based on their nationality and the visa policies of the destination country or region. For example, Hong Kong SAR passport holders can travel visa free to 171 countries or regions, but if they want to travel to countries or regions that do not provide visa free treatment, they need to apply for a tourist visa as required.
