Travel bubbles for Hong Kong: will overtures to 11 countries get the city anywhere amid Covid-19 pandemic?

To make it possible, coronavirus tests before departure and upon arrival might be necessary for travellers, commerce chief Edward Yau says

Where do the 11 countries, including popular destinations Japan and Thailand, stand on reopening their own borders?

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Japan is one of the most popular destinations for Hongkongers. Photo: EPA

Published: 7:30pm, 10 Sep 2020Updated: 1:02pm, 20 Oct 2020

For Hong Kong’s battered tourism industry, the announcement that officials have been in contact with 11 countries over forming travel bubbles brought a ray of hope in the coronavirus gloom.

But questions remain as to how soon this can happen and which side has the decisive say on when to open borders.

Commerce chief Edward Yau Tang-wah revealed on Wednesday that the government had already started arranging talks between local health professionals and their counterparts in Japan and Thailand, two of the most popular holiday destinations for the city’s residents.

To make bubbles possible, Yau said, coronavirus tests before departure and upon arrival might be necessary, and the two sides would need to discuss whether negative results at both ends meant travellers could skip quarantine or spend less time in isolation.

Edward Yau says preparations have to be conducted early. Photo: Sam Tsang

“The situation will keep changing, so I have to stress that preparations should be conducted earlier because different places may have different requirements,” he said.

So without wanting to burst any bubbles, the Post looks at where the 11 countries – Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Switzerland – stand on reopening their borders.

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