Japanese U-turn on flight restrictions for Hong Kong takes travel agents and tourists by surprise and leads to extra costs for re-booking trips
- Travellers struggle to rearrange travel plans; many pay extra to rebook trips after Japan lifts travel restrictions after just 10 days
- Industry expert warns change of heart too late for travel agents to organise new travel packages for Lunar New Year holiday
Japan’s removal of most Covid-19 travel restrictions on Hong Kong from Sunday, just 10 days after they were announced, has left travellers struggling to rearrange plans and having to fork out thousands of dollars extra to rebook trips.
The country scrapped its limit on the number of airports that arrivals from Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China could fly into, but industry leaders on Thursday said the change of heart had not left enough time to launch new travel offerings, especially for the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts on January 22.
Gianna Hsu Wong Mei-lun, the chairwoman of the Travel Industry Council, said Hong Kong arrivals once again being allowed to land at any airport in Japan was good news, but it was hard for booking agencies to make new arrangements at short notice.
“Lunar New Year is coming in two weeks,” she told a radio programme on Thursday. “It’s relatively hasty for travel agencies to reorganise tour groups. Easing restrictions is more appealing to independent travellers.”
Hsu also highlighted cost concerns for an industry already hard hit by years of global Covid-19 disruption.