Hongkongers hell-bent on Japan, South Korea holiday despite bitter cold: ‘We have lost all memories of travelling’
- Japan and South Korea hit by blizzards and freezing weather, causing disruptions to transport
- ‘To be honest, we did not consider the weather much. It has been three years since we could travel, so we are determined to do so,’ one eager tourist says
Hong Kong families, couples and friends pressed ahead with trips to Japan and South Korea on Thursday, despite a deadly cold spell in the region affecting the journey of those coming home.
As the city celebrated its first Lunar New Year holiday without travel restrictions in three years, “once-in-a-decade” blizzards and freezing weather ripped through East Asia, causing mass transport shutdowns in both countries popular among Hong Kong tourists.
The Travel Industry Council earlier said at least 200 Hong Kong travellers in Japan had already experienced delays or changes to their itineraries.
Some residents returning from Japan to Hong Kong on Thursday told the Post the extreme weather had mainly affected transport in Osaka and Kyoto. However, the former’s Kansai airport was operating normally during the morning.
“There was a slight delay in traffic in Osaka, but compared with Kyoto, Osaka was not greatly affected by the cold weather,” said Emily Lau, a 23-year-old arriving from Osaka. She added that some passengers were stuck at the airport on Wednesday.
