Japan’s policy requiring declaration from Hong Kong arrivals will be reduced to simply a ‘gesture’, tour agents say, questioning effectiveness
- Tour operators point out travellers from city and Macau use a home return permit to enter mainland China, so this will not be reflected on passports used to visit Japan
- Travellers on Friday, the first day of the new Japanese policy, voice anger with constant and sudden changes in rules
Tour agents have questioned the effectiveness of requiring arrivals from Hong Kong and Macau to declare at three Japanese airports opened to them that they have no recent travel history to mainland China, suggesting the policy would only amount to a “gesture” with no accurate way to validate such information.
Operators in Hong Kong pointed out that residents from the city and Macau used a different travel document, the home return permit, to enter the mainland, leaving no record on their passports.
Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, executive director of travel agency EGL Tours, on Friday said he felt happy that Japanese authorities had eased measures promptly, but he was worried the policy would be reduced to cursory action.
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“Passengers make the declaration themselves; it is difficult for airlines to validate [the information],” he told a radio programme. “The Japanese government didn’t say whether there would be any repercussions if the passengers made a false declaration.”
Hong Kong recorded 27,830 Covid-19 infections on Friday and 72 related deaths. The city’s total tally now stands at 2,596,426 cases and 11,755 fatalities.
Earlier this week, Japan announced it would from Friday limit arrivals from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to only Narita and Haneda airports in Tokyo, Kansai International airport in Osaka and Chubu airport in Nagoya. Japan also asked airlines not to increase the number of flights to the country.
Japanese authorities then eased the restrictions on Thursday, allowing flights from Hong Kong and Macau to continue using New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Fukuoka Airport and Naha Airport in Okinawa, if passengers declare they have not been to the mainland in the week before their departure.