The Price Hong Kong Tourism Pays for Insisting on Strict Covid Measures
Photo Credit: Travelers coming in to Hong Kong are currently required to quarantine in a hotel for seven days, followed by three days of self-monitoring. pixabay / kirill_sobolev
Skift Take
At a time when most destinations around the world are opening to unvaccinated travelers, Hong Kong is still pussyfooting around shortening the seven-day hotel quarantine period. Think it's time to live with pandemic? Try telling that to Hong Kong.
John Lee, Hong Kong’s newly-elected chief executive, seems to be a man on a mission. In less than a week of assuming office, he’s managed to end the controversial flight ban that earlier restricted airlines from flying into the city, and has also hinted at shortening quarantine for incoming travelers.
However, if Hong Kong still wants to retain the tag of Asia’s business hub, it would need to move faster. The city has one of the most cumbersome entry rules. Travelers coming in to Hong Kong are currently required to quarantine in a hotel for seven days, followed by three days of self-monitoring.
The flight ban or circuit-breaker mechanism served carriers with a warning and a $2,548 penalty for bringing in three or more infected passengers on a single flight. If the terms were breached again within 10 days, the airline was then prohibited from flying that route into Hong Kong for five days.
Hong Kong has so far suspended 100 flights this year, with
