Why aren’t mainland travellers coming?

Ben Kwok January 11, 2023 11:24

Expect the unexpected.

When China opened door for travel earlier this week, many might have expected the wealthy mainland travellers to flood to other countries for shopping.

It has not happened yet. In fact, there are some issues to be solved.

Spending a week in the busiest districts in Tokyo, I heard more Cantonese than mandarin.

That was also evidenced in Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun which reported the Japan tourism industry is very excited about the incoming mainland tourists but so far it’s below expectations.

There are 10 flights weekly between Japan and China by Japan Airlines but the booking so far has been pretty much the same as it was last year. Travel agency JTB also received many enquiries but not one single booking. A Kyoto hotel owner said there have not been any mainlanders staying this week, the newspaper reported.

That might be good news for Hong Kong travellers to Japan in the Chinese New Year, but its is not good news at all to the Japanese economy awaiting for a much-needed boost from mainland tourists.

Things were complicated by Beijing imposing retaliatory measures on Japan and South Korea, by suspending the issuance of short-term visas in response to entry curbs on mainlanders after its reopening.
Starting this week, Japanese and Korean government require mainland travellers to submit their negative test results 72 hours before their travel. They would be subject to a seven-day quarantine if they are found positive in the ground PCR tests.

As such, the travelling between China and Korea as well as Japan are expected to be limited as mainlanders pick other more travel-friendly countries such as Thailand and Singapore for their destinations.

Here in Hong Kong, the effect of mainland travellers on boosting the economy is still waiting to be seen.

The mainland group tour is expected to come this weekend with the reopening of high-speed rail, a week before the Chinese New Year. But industry experts expect a meaningful amount of tourists would only come after mid-February.

Out of the 45,000 people crossing the seven border checkpoints, some 70 per cent of people were leaving (northbound), which means more than double the people coming (southbound).

Unlike the sharp SARS rebound we witnessed 20 years ago, this time it may take longer to return to normal.

-- Contact us at [email protected]

Ben Kwok

EJ Insight writer

Hong Kong

Which HK district is most defensive in home rental? Ben Kwok

Yes, the border is open. Yet, the business is not back. That has been reflected in the residential rental market in Hong Kong, where 90 per cent was below the pre-pandemic level, according to

Talent development takes years, so we should start now Dr. Winnie Tang

Recently, the fever of artificial intelligence-powered chatbot ChatGPT has swept around the world. Within just two months after its launch in last November, it reached 100 million users. But if you

Hong Kong needs a new approach to talent Daniel Cham

Hong Kong has arrived at a critical juncture for its talent market and its economic future. Due to several factors that include the pandemic, emigration, and an ageing population, Hong Kong has a

Hong Kong Ballet premieres Coco Chanel Kevin Ng

Hong Kong’s cultural scene is bouncing back. Just after the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Art Basel has returned after three years. And nearby at the Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Ballet

How to position our AI supercomputer centre? Dr. Winnie Tang

Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation and Technology and Industry, said that the investment in the proposed AI supercomputer center would be “huge”, and "if you make reference to supercomputer