Destinations Known | As pandemic travel restrictions in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Macau – even Bhutan – at last start to fully unwind, the sense of relief is palpable
- Some of the last major East Asian holdouts – with the obvious exception of mainland China – are at last dropping almost all pandemic travel restrictions
- October will see individual travel and visa-free entry return to Japan, and Taiwan do away with its 3+4 quarantine strategy
Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Macau, even plucky little Bhutan … it’s all happening.
The rest of the world may have largely forgotten what it was like to have Covid-19 travel restrictions, but some of the last major Asian holdouts – with one obvious exception – are at last fully unwinding theirs.
The relief among Hongkongers has been palpable – never have the numbers zero and three sounded so sweet.
Hong Kong’s “3+4” (three days in hotel isolation and four at home under medical supervision) requirement, which has been cast aside for “0+3”, was far better than the 21 days of self-funded quarantine seen during the darkest days of the pandemic, but still added a niggling, expensive, off-putting complication to arrival in, or return to, the city.
But no more. Arriving passengers must still get tested at the airport, but, assuming they’re negative, they can then go free with no more of a millstone round their neck than a yellow code, which means no dining at restaurants for three days, and a commitment to take several more tests. Pah, easy!
The fear among those wishing to leave the city for a holiday or a long-overdue family duty tour now is that plane ticket prices are going to skyrocket and seats will be harder to come by than quarantine hotel rooms once were.
