Hong Kong’s Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung, told legislators on 8 April that the SAR is lobbying a handful of markets—including Japan, South Korea and the United States—to lift the pandemic-era limits that still apply only to flights from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. Those rules range from route-specific frequency caps to obligatory pre-departure PCR tests, measures the Hong Kong government now brands “discriminatory and outdated”. Yeung said officials are providing updated epidemiological data to foreign regulators to demonstrate that Hong Kong’s infection rate has remained near historic lows since border reopening in January 2025. The Tourism Board is also drawing up a March events calendar aimed at attracting long-haul visitors and persuading partner governments that normal traffic can resume safely. Industry voices welcomed the renewed diplomatic push. Inbound volumes for 2021 were just 660,000—under one percent of 2018’s peak—leaving corporate hotels and MICE venues operating below breakeven. Travel-management companies argue that lingering restrictions complicate itinerary planning for multinational staff transiting via Hong Kong, forcing detours through Singapore or Taipei. If the lobbying succeeds, carriers expect to restore up-gauge plans on services to Los Angeles, Seoul-Incheon and Tokyo-Narita in time for the northern-summer timetable. Employers should monitor airline schedule updates closely; once caps disappear, seat inventory is likely to tighten quickly as pent-up leisure demand overlaps with postponed business travel. Companies with Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong may also wish to revisit mobility policies that currently route employees through Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur purely to avoid testing paperwork, as such work-arounds will lose relevance—and add cost—once parity is restored.
Source: Hong Kong News
