The most important words issued in the past week were not about a feared “large-scale lockdown” in Hong Kong, nor even about the atrocities being committed in Ukraine. They were these: “The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future,” read the final line in the summary of a report provided by Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . Why is that relevant in a travel and tourism column? Well, there will be no holidays on a dead planet. The time we have left to maintain some semblance of a civilised society is slipping through our hands like sand in an hourglass. That said - and with all things being relative - the concerns of Hongkongers, especially those with young families, as the city considers even more stringent Covid-19 measures are understandably acute. Having been subject to two years of restrictions, many need a break. Especially frustrating is that, as the screws tighten at home, so much of the world is getting used to living with Covid-19 and opening back up. People are leaving Hong Kong. A pandemic-record net 71,354 people departed the city in February , which David Webb, the founder of online database Webb-site, tweeted is “possibly the biggest exodus [seasonal holidays excepted] since 1941 ahead of the Japanese invasion”. How many will return, and when, remains to be seen. Many residents not looking to relocate permanently are nevertheless seeking a bolthole, either for a specific amount of time, in the hope that the situation in Hong Kong will be resolved to some degree during that period, or indefinitely, until such a resolution has unfolded. Social media forums are abuzz with requests for information, the hive mind grappling with the myriad variables - the paperwork, the availability of flights, quarantine hotel rooms and PCR tests, the cost - all of which are subject to frequent change. Against all that, the touristic merits of a chosen destination are almost irrelevant, so long as it’s not here. So where? With Australia, Britain, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nepal and the United States all on the naughty step - at least until April 20, when flight suspensions from those countries are due to be withdrawn - and mainland China, Japan and New Zealand still largely sealed off, the traditional holiday hotspots of Southeast Asia are again gaining their lustre, even though all have cons to go along with their pros. Entry requirements for most tend to be a pain but not impossible - so long as you’re fully vaxxed. What’s new for tourists in Australia: city escapes, sustainable hotels Thailand’s restrictions are being eased steadily as Omicron fears wane, but there is still a need to test, whether you touch down in Bangkok or one of the “sandbox” arrival points. Travellers on the Test & Go scheme can head out from the capital unhindered after scoring a negative, but those arriving in the likes of Phuket and Koh Samui must stay put in their sandbox for seven days before venturing forth. All must apply ahead of arrival for a Thailand Pass, which can take up to seven days to be approved, if it is approved; there are numerous reports online of passes being declined for the slightest of reasons. Bali still has a five-day quarantine - three if you’re triple-jabbed - but rumour has it quarantine will be dropped altogether from March 14 (watch this space). Travellers flying in to the Langkawi International Tourism Bubble (visitors from Hong Kong would most likely do so via Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where the entry paperwork is taken care of before the boarding of an internal flight), and those arriving via the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) Malaysia has with Singapore will, from March 3, no longer have to undergo rapid antigen tests on days two, four and six, although tests before and after arrival in the country are still necessary. Singapore has an active VTL with Hong Kong (you’ll need a Vaccinated Travel Pass) and a direct connection (you’ll need to a ticket for a designated VTL flight), whereas to get to Cambodia, travellers from our city would require a change of plane. Entry into Cambodia is relatively simple, though, even if the country is not currently issuing visas on arrival. Take the ‘Two-Buck Challenge’ and enjoy a day trip in Hong Kong Vietnam is planning to fully reopen to vaccinated tourists and drop all Covid-19 travel restrictions on March 15, but case numbers are spiking, with reports putting daily infections as high as 100,000. Dubai is a popular option, and we’ve heard from a contact in the United Arab Emirates’ most populous city that it was heaving with Hong Kong families over the recent half-term. The contact added: “It is easy to work from Dubai in freedom as everything is open as usual […] I have a number of Hong Kong friends and business contacts here, so all very workable.” Fiji may be difficult to get to for Hongkongers until direct flights or connections through Singapore are established, but it is proving a hit with newly liberated Australians, according to the Traveller website. Many of those who would normally choose Bali are switching to avoid the three/five-day quarantine on the Island of the Gods. “Bookings to Fiji have been climbing steadily since the scrapping of hotel quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers in December,” reads the Traveller article. “Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill said a combination of unprecedented deals and easing restrictions are driving the Fiji frenzy.” Finland offers 90-day stays for Hong Kong green tech experts Or how about Finland? Which rather neatly follows Fiji in alphabetical country-name order. Finland’s chamber of commerce in Hong Kong wants it to be known that the Regional Council of South Karelia is offering “Hongkonger and Japanese professionals, researchers, investors and entrepreneurs on green and environment technology the opportunity to live and work for 90 days in the happiest country in the world.” The “3 Months by Lake Saimaa, Finland” relocation package offers: all the documentation needed for a 90-day stay; airport pickup and orientation services; a housing consultation service; school or daycare arrangements for children; facilities for efficient remote work and study; introductions to local green technology hubs and business networks; and get-togethers and “Finnish experiences” for 10 or so lucky applicants and their families. Support for permanent residency applications is also promised. Will three months by Lake Saimaa be long enough to see life return to something like normal in Hong Kong? Perhaps - but also worth considering is the fact that South Karelia shares a border with Russia! Genting Hong Kong’s World Dream sails off into the sunset - for good If you do take advantage of Hong Kong’s VTL with Singapore, don’t expect to board a “cruise to nowhere” on the World Dream. The Straits Times reports that the ship’s operator - Genting Hong Kong’s Dream Cruises - no longer has the financial ability to keep the service running, after the parent company went bust . The World Dream sailed off into the sunset on March 2, leaving Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas as the sole ship operating destination-less cruises out from the Lion City. A sad farewell to the World Dream … we could almost be talking about the climate crisis again.