Hong Kong is reportedly bracing for an increase in tourism after ending the obligatory Covid-19 hotel quarantine for foreign visitors on Monday, with travel organizations reporting 10-fold increases in demand.

The city's leader, John Lee, stated last week that while visitors may come back home or seek accommodation, they must monitor themselves for three days upon entering.

All overseas visitors in the Chinese special administrative zone were formerly obliged to stay in hotel quarantine for up to three weeks at their own expense, though this time was eventually reduced to three days.

However, the recent shift still places Hong Kong considerably behind the rest of the world in easing curbs.

For three days, restaurants and bars are closed to visitors from abroad. Although they can attend work and school, they must complete repeated Covid-19 tests within the first week of their arrival.

Nevertheless, the executive director of Hong Kong's Travel Industry Council, Fanny Yeung, stated that the council anticipates an increase in outward travel of up to 50% over the coming few months.

Yeung emphasized that while growth would be constrained by departing flights, inbound tourism was unlikely to increase because of the current restraints.

Expedia Hong Kong reported that searches for Japan increased to ten times last week, while inquiries for Taiwan nearly doubled in the previous 14 days.

Similarly, Trip.com also reported a week of 95 times more flight searches and a 50% increase in orders, with the popular destinations being Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore, and Osaka.

The next step, according to the international aviation organization IATA, is for Hong Kong to abandon all Covid-19 regulations.

Following a ‘dynamic zero’ Covid-19 strategy, the former British colony had been an international anomaly outside mainland China in implementing hotel quarantine for international visitors.

The Covid-19 rules were criticized by diplomats, business groups, and citizens as endangering Hong Kong's competitiveness and its position as a global financial center. However, locals arriving at the city's airport were thrilled about the ease of restrictions.

Source credit: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/hong-kong-prepares-for-surge-in-travel-after-covid-19-curbs-ease