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Travelers bound for Hong Kong do not need to isolate themselves in a hotel upon arrival.
But they have to undergo several covid tests.
They can go to work, take public transport and go to supermarkets, but for the first three days travelers cannot go to “high risk” places such as restaurants, bars and gyms.
Visitors planning an eight-day trip must undergo 12 tests — four PCR and eight rapid antigen tests — which averages up to 1.5 tests per day.
Additionally, those who test positive must be isolated in a community facility for at least one week.
Still, the relaxed rules are welcome news for city residents who endured hotel quarantine restrictions of up to three weeks during the outbreak.
The news comes a day after Hong Kong lost its No. 3 spot in the Global Financial Center Index, giving way to Singapore, which moved up three places. Hong Kong and Shanghai – to become Asia’s top financial hub.
The new rules
Before the new rules take effect from Monday, travelers must:
- Test negative with a self-administered rapid antigen test
- Report the test results on the online health report
- Find the QR code of the health declaration that will be provided before departure and upon arrival
- Vaccination for entry or Medical Exemption Certificate (if non-resident and aged 12 or over).
Upon arrival, travelers must:
- Take the PCR test at the airport, then take it again on 2, 4 and 6 (arrival date is 0 day)
- Take rapid antigen tests every day for 1 to 7 days
- Provide medical supervision for three days, during which they must avoid places such as restaurants, night clubs and salons.
- Follow the four-day self-control period
A rush to get out, less desire to get in
Friday’s announcement spurred a surge in demand for outbound flights, according to travel booking company Expedia.
Searches for flights from Hong Kong to Japan increased 10-fold in the three days after the announcement, compared with a week earlier, while searches for flights to Taiwan increased 12-fold in the same period, according to Expedia.
The top flight searches on Expedia by Hong Kong travelers over the weekend were:
- Osaka, Japan
- Tokyo, Japan.
- Seoul, South Korea
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Sapporo, Japan
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Taichung, Taiwan
- Singapore
- Fukuoka, Japan
- London, United Kingdom
However, demand for travel to Hong Kong was even warmer.
Expedia data for accommodation searches in Hong Kong increased by 50% over the weekend, compared to the week before the announcement.
The desire to go to Hong Kong is not captured by regional travelers. According to Expedia’s flight search data, the UK, Canada and the US were the leading markets.
Pang Yu-kai, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said on Tuesday that the simplified rules are expected to initially attract mainly business travelers, family visitors and returning Hong Kong residents.
A step forward, still centuries later
Joseph Armas, chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, said lifting the hotel quarantine was “a step forward”.
But to boost the city’s tourism and hospitality sector, the remaining regulations should be removed, Armas said.
Japan is the latest example of a regulation-laden opening strategy that has attracted fewer tourists than expected.
Japan announced on Thursday that travelers will be allowed to travel freely from October 11, ending restrictions that were said to have further confused travelers. Flight searches to Japan nearly doubled on the same day, according to Expedia data.
Regina Ip, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Executive Council, said the “next logical step” for Hong Kong is to remove the three-day medical surveillance that prevents travelers from eating in restaurants.
Ip said she expects measures to be further relaxed next month after Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee delivers his policy address on Oct. 19.
Will China reopen?
The easing of Covid-19 measures in Hong Kong has raised hopes among Chinese residents that they may soon see relaxed rules.
China’s borders have been closed since March 2020 as the epidemic continues to spread globally.
Currently, travelers entering the country must self-quarantine at a centralized facility — such as a hotel — for seven days, then an additional three days at home before leaving.
“Most businesses and residents in Hong Kong rely on the mainland, and travel back and forth is critical to their businesses,” Armas told CNBC’s “Squawkbox Asia” on Monday.
Although there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, China is unlikely to see a “significant easing” of Covid measures until next spring, said Andrew Tilton, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Goldman Sachs.
Elderly people in China still need “a round of booster shots” and the government wants to make sure it has enough drugs in case of another wave of Covid after the country reopens, he said.
“China is a big country. We are only one city … I am not sure if our approach will be applied to the whole country,” he said.
There may be some good news for residents in China.
After three years, Macau is set to open its borders to travelers from China in the coming weeks, Reuters reported.
The world’s biggest gambling hub has been hit hard by China’s zero-Covid policy, as its “major customer flow” comes from the mainland, said Matthew Osolinsky, chairman of Osolinsky Holdings. When the borders between China and Macau reopen, he said, “It will be interesting to see if there is a stampede or a shake-up, but there is a huge amount of demand.”
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