Watching And Waiting

COVID and pro-democracy demonstrations landed a one-two punch on Hong Kong's tourism industry. Now that the region has reopened, how quickly can it win back the international jet set?

- Christopher Cameron

IN THE LOBBY of Peninsula Hong Kong, a group of Americans ponder the winter ski season.

“It’s still so much cheaper to ski in France than it is in Whistler.”

“When you grow up skiing in New England, the powder out west is just...”

“Our instructor’s grandfather started Aman hotels. He must be the richest ski instructor there is.”

“But everyone knows that the best apres ski is in Aspen.”

Since Hong Kong reopened its borders in 2022 and ended mandatory masking requirements last February, millions of tourists have flooded back, from both abroad and mainland China. Last July saw over 612,000 non-mainland travellers arrive, nearly 164,000 of whom came from long-haul markets such as the US, the UK and Australia, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

But that’s a small fraction of the monthly share of the 65.15 million tourists who arrived in 2018, before the prodemocracy protests kicked off. The region’s population has now declined for three consecutive years, and China’s national-security law spurred some international businesses to relocate to Singapore. For travellers, it prompted genuine concerns. Will my phone and laptop be spied on? Can I enter the country if I tweeted in support of the protesters? Will the internet be censored? What happens if I get COVID?