Coronavirus: Hong Kong’s ‘0+3’ scheme is here, but travellers are not. Industry observers say impact of relaxed border measures will take time
- City ended mandatory hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals on Monday, but popular spots still largely visited by locals
- Retailers worry business will now suffer even more as Hongkongers look to travel, and call for ‘0+0’ arrangement to truly drive inbound tourism
Hong Kong’s tourist hotspots remained short on travellers on Monday even after hotel quarantine rules for overseas arrivals were lifted, and some businesses are worried the easing of Covid-19 border restrictions means residents will now take their expenditure overseas instead.
Employees working in shops and restaurants told the Post they had not seen an instant surge in foreign patrons, and estimated it would take at least a week or even several months to tell if the policy change could improve inbound tourism.
This period will be followed by four days of self-monitoring, during which arrivals are required to self-conduct a rapid antigen test (RAT) daily and undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests three times.
Previously, the city had a “3+4” arrangement for arrivals, a scheme that meant three days of compulsory quarantine in designated hotels followed by four days of home medical surveillance.
