Opinion | Returning for Lunar New Year an expensive luxury for Hongkongers stuck overseas

Hongkongers are finding it harder to get home, given the government’s strict travel restrictions and increasingly expensive hotel rooms. For many, Lunar New Year family reunions are now a financial burden

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Inbound travellers arrive at Hong Kong International Airport on November 14, 2021, before being transported to quarantine hotels in the city. Photo: May Tse

Published: 9:45am, 28 Jan 2022

As the Omicron variant of Covid-19 spreads across the globe, Hong Kong has joined many other regions and countries in imposing tough restrictions. In addition to containing local transmissions, the Hong Kong government has taken measures since the beginning of the pandemic to control incoming travellers.

At the moment, every major country where Hongkongers prefer to study and live is listed in Group A as high-risk. This means anyone returning to the city from those countries is required to spend 21 days at a designated quarantine hotel.

These measures, aimed at stopping returnees from spreading the virus to the local community, have gradually become a financial obstacle for Hongkongers overseas.

Those seeking to return must contend with the uncertainty over flight schedules and cancellations, plus the difficulty of booking hotel rooms, to reunite with their families. Family gatherings for the Lunar New Year, a tradition long shared throughout the community, is now a luxury for Hongkongers currently overseas.

Since December 2020, the Hong Kong government has designated certain hotels for incoming travellers to serve their quarantine. This was meant to ensure they did not mingle with the local community during the virus’ incubation period.

Rates for quarantine hotel rooms at the time ranged from less than HK$500 (US$65) per night to thousands of dollars, depending on the hotel. Incoming travellers had to quarantine there for 14 days. The cheapest quarantine package was around HK$6,000, around a quarter of the median monthly income in Hong Kong.