What’s Next for Weary Hong Kong After Bubble With Singapore Burst Again?
Photo Credit: Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel. Wharf Hotels
Skift Take
A reopening with mainland China would be a lifeboat for Hong Kong's beleaguered tourism industry. Talks seem to be escalating but hopes are kept in check as vaccine hesitancy for now serves as a real bummer for recovery.
Bubble weariness has set in for Hong Kong's tourism industry. After a second postponement of a travel corridor with Singapore recently, businesses are skeptical that plans to restart cross-border travel with mainland China will happen soon. Deep down, however, they fervently hope it will.
The South China Morning Post reported on Friday that borders between Hong Kong and mainland China could reopen for quarantine-free travel as early as next month, likely with neighboring Guangdong for business travel first, then other market segments.
Guangdong is China's richest province with the highest gross domestic product in the mainland for 32 years consecutively. Its nine cities, among them Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai, are part of the greater bay area. The area, which also counts Macau and Hong Kong, has more than 72 million people.
Details being considered include the number of cities in Guangdong in the pilot, if there should be a daily quota, and the length of a visit, said the
