Hong Kong lifts all entry restrictions in time for New Year’s Eve 2022

Intrepid travelers keen on a last-minute remote New Year’s Eve adventure are in luck.

On December 28, Hong Kong announced that all entry restrictions on inbound tourists will be lifted from December 29, just in time for the arrival of 2023.

“The new measures mark an important milestone in the recovery of the tourism industry and the full reopening of Hong Kong’s tourism doors,” Dr. Pang Yiu-ka, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), said in a press release. The HKTB will gradually strengthen its global promotion to maintain Hong Kong’s status as a world-class tourist destination.”

Key changes to arrival requirements include:

Cancellation of PCR test upon arrival and day 2

• PCR testing upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport and on day 2 is no longer required.
• Passengers are only required to present a negative result from a PCR test taken within 48 hours before flying to Hong Kong or a rapid antigen test (RAT) taken within 24 hours.
• Daily RAT for the first 5 days is voluntary.

Vaccine passport no longer required

Starting Thursday, the city’s vaccine pass, which was implemented in February and made entry mandatory at most venues in Hong Kong, will also no longer be required.

Relaxation of social distancing measures

• Limits on the size of public group gatherings will be lifted, along with restrictions on restaurant capacity and other targeted venues.
• Only the city’s mask mandate remains in effect.

Cancellation of quarantine for close contacts of COVID

Close contacts (members who live with a confirmed COVID case) will no longer be isolated in residences or government-operated facilities.

The lifting of strict restrictions in Hong Kong, after Beijing earlier announced that mainland China would lift strict quarantine requirements for travelers arriving from abroad starting Jan. 8, is expected to revive the single city’s hotel industry, which Almost stagnant for three years, it received 56 million tourists in 2019.

Fanny Yeung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, hopes tourism will return to 90% of pre-pandemic levels by the third quarter of 2023 — though warns that staffing issues could become an issue now that many tourism industry workers are on the job . Due to the devastating impact of Covid-19, they have been forced to seek work in other fields.

To mark this important post-pandemic milestone, Hong Kong is gearing up for a high-intensity New Year’s countdown festivities and stunning fireworks displays on December 31 at the city’s iconic Victoria Harbour.

In addition to a live performance by internationally acclaimed pianist Niu Niu (Zhang Shengliang) and a gravity-defying performance by members of the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Club, online and TV viewers can enjoy a 3D animation that captures the city’s diversity and vibrancy – until the countdown. With 30 seconds to midnight, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center (HKCEC) will once again transform into a gigantic countdown clock to usher in the new year – and hopefully the legions of tourists from around the world will return.

For more information on Hong Kong’s New Year’s Eve festivities, as well as the latest travel requirements for inbound visitors, please visit the HKTB website.