An employee staffing a ticket booth at the entrance said the rain had dampened visitor traffic, as more tourists were around on Tuesday.

A Post reporter observed fewer than 10 tourists taking the tram in the morning, with passengers mostly local tour groups or retirees and families.

The Fangs, a couple from Australia in their 70s, made a beeline for the Peak Tram on the second day of their visit after the amber code was axed.

“It’s a lovely surprise. I’m so happy that I don’t need to wait any more. We couldn’t dine out, but now we can eat out and walk around freely,” Mrs Fang said.

“I don’t feel bothered by the vaccine pass requirement though. I do think regulations are needed especially when Hong Kong is so dense.”

The couple, who arrived in the city on Tuesday, were staying in the city for two more days before heading to Nanjing.

“I get to see Hong Kong this time,” added her husband, who had stayed in the city for a day in 1997. “It’s like a parallel to Shanghai with all its buildings.”

Overseas travellers are required to undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at the airport upon arrival and on their third day, as well as daily rapid antigen testing until the sixth day.

Previously, upon testing negative, incoming travellers were given an amber health code, which barred them from premises such as restaurants, bars and gyms during their first three days of arrival.

From Wednesday, those with a negative test result will be issued with a blue code, allowing them to roam freely around the city. Anyone, including arrivals, who tests positive, will continue to receive a red code and be subject to isolation.

Under the new rules, the use of the government’s “Leave Home Safe” risk-exposure app is no longer required to enter all premises, with visitors only needing to present their blue health code to enter venues covered by the city’s vaccine pass scheme.

The Post observed that most patrons who had arrived from overseas entered restaurants by showing the blue code on the “Leave Home Safe” app, instead of alternatives such as the eHealth app or physical vaccination records.

Health authorities reported 14,870 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, of which 896 were imported, and 35 deaths related to the virus. The city’s Covid-19 tally stood at 2,290,317 cases and 11,056 fatalities.

Plus Wang, a 24-year-old student from Sydney, visited traditional Chinese restaurant Lin Heung Kui in Sheung Wan on the first day his amber code was removed.

“I arrived the day before yesterday, so tomorrow was supposed to be my last day [of my amber code],” he said.

“I was very happy when I saw the news. Since it’s raining today, I can’t eat outside, and now I can dine in restaurants properly.”

Jessica Chou, a tourist from Taiwan who arrived last Sunday, was meeting up with a friend at the same restaurant. Her first day of unrestricted citywide movement coincided with the changes to Hong Kong’s anti-epidemic curbs.

“Of course, I’m glad I don’t need to scan [the amber code] any more, but I think the [vaccine pass] scan is necessary as basic protection is still a must,” Chou said.

“I needed time to understand and learn the system, but government directions were clear.”

With the easing of the restrictions, Chou said she hoped to sample the city’s vibrant culinary scene during her stay.

Across Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, tourist Gloria Chen was shopping at the Harbour City mall for discounted beauty products.

“It is great to hear that Hong Kong is loosening restrictions,” said Chen, who arrived from Shenzhen on Friday. “But those are mild changes for me, because I still need to quarantine anyway when I am back in Guangdong.”

But some others lamented the time they had lost under the restrictive “0+3” regime.

“My father is visiting for the winter break, but unfortunately we couldn’t go to many restaurants. We lost the chance to visit many places,” said Jihey Han, a resident in her late 30s from South Korea.

“We only had yesterday afternoon and today,” Han added, as her father was due to leave on Wednesday evening.

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, noted a five per cent increase in the number of customers, with patrons including residents who had returned from overseas.

However, he said the number of tourists coming to the city was likely to remain low for now, since the new policy had just been rolled out.

“Around 10,000 to 20,000 people visit Hong Kong per day. There are a total of three million Hongkongers dining out each day. Therefore the growth is not that huge,” he explained, adding that there were around 200,000 tourists visiting per day before the pandemic.

Wong added that enquiries for booking around the Christmas holidays had increased by 30 to 40 per cent after the easing was announced.

Ray Chui Man-wai, chairman of the Institute of Dining Art, said he also saw a two per cent increase in the number of patrons and expected a larger rise in customer numbers during the Christmas holiday.

“With the lifting of the ‘Leave Home Safe’ app and amber code, the atmosphere has become better,” Chui said. “Also, as the weather has also turned colder, more residents are inclined to eat out.”