For the last half of 2019, Hong Kong has made headlines practically every day because of its political situation which has impacted tourism into the metropolitan. From recent experience, here are Hong Kong updates and the actual state of travel in and out of city:
The world and travelers have become cautious and fearful of travel into Hong Kong because of news and media coverage of the protests in certain areas around the city. That is something to be aware of – the protests are happening only in certain areas that may not necessarily affect tourist spots like The Peak, Disneyland, Ocean Park, Central, etc.
If there are protests, it is spread on social media as to the areas where it will happen. Before you plan your day, you can ask Concierge and the hotel if your planned itinerary for the day will be safe.
Ultimately, if you want to travel to Hong Kong – go for it! Just stay in safer areas like Central and not New Territories, Kowloon, Causeway Bay, etc.
If you are transiting through Hong Kong as a layover, everything is completely normal. Go ahead and book that flight especially if it is a good deal. Hong Kong airport is running as usual and it is completely safe for transit passengers.
For passengers flying in and arriving into Hong Kong can also expect minimal changes such as the Arrivals Hall is incredibly empty compared to a few months. Now, only ticketed passengers and airport staff can enter the airport in order to secure the airport from disruption.
So when you land in Hong Kong you will go through the same arrival procedures of Immigration, Baggage Claim, and walking through Customs. At the Arrivals Hall, you can proceed to Airport Express which goes directly to Hong Kong Station, line up for a bus or taxi, or to meet your airport greeter if you arranged for transportation with your hotel.
Note that many of the usual entrances and exits are closed. Only certain doors remain open so security can limit where to check passengers entering the airport.
When you arrive at the airport, note that only certain doors are now open so airport security can guarantee that only ticketed passengers and airport staff are allowed inside the airport.
For passengers, be sure that you have your ticket ready to show the security staff. This can be a print itinerary, your printed boarding, or showing the information on your phone. Make sure that the ticket shows every single passenger if you are traveling with a group.
If you have airport transport services, like from the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, then those airport greeters have an airport staff pass to enter the airport with you.
After entering the airport, everything else is completely the same. Check-in procedures are the same, security lines can actually be lighter than usual, immigration remains the same, and everything inside the departures terminal is normal.
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