cnn
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Market vendor Mr Chan points out what used to be one of the busiest streets in Hong Kong.
“There are no tourists at all now,” he says. Mr. Chan sells silver earrings, necklaces and scarves on Tung Choi Street in Kowloon, famous for its robust night market.
The last three years have been hard for him. He kept his stall open until 10 p.m. before the pandemic, but these days he closes at 7 p.m.
He expects a quick turnaround with the end of the quarantine, which had a devastating effect on businesses that depended on tourism.
Hong Kong has taken steps in recent days to reopen to the world, first lifting its mandatory three-day hotel quarantine and then announcing a global banking summit in November.
The city also plans to give away 500 billion airline tickets, worth about $254.8 million, to visitors around the world, along with residents, as part of a “market recovery campaign.”
Officials hope these measures will revive Hong Kong's status as an international business and travel hub, but some locals feel the changes may be too late.
The lifting of the quarantine was greeted with joy by the city's residents, who have endured more than two years of crushing pandemic measures.
At their strictest, Hong Kong's quarantine rules required incoming travelers to spend 21 days in a hotel room at their own expense. Only Hong Kong residents were allowed entry.
Those unlucky enough to come from certain regions or countries with high numbers of coronavirus cases could find themselves in a government-run facility.
As a result, travel in and out of the financial center reached historic lows.
Once the news of the end of the quarantine was announced on Friday, September 30, travel-hungry Hongkongers flocked to book flights online. The city's flag carrier, Cathay Pacific, set up a virtual “waiting room” to access its website, where wait times could easily extend up to 30 minutes.
Online travel booking service Expedia said its website also saw a nine-fold increase in searches for flights from Hong Kong to Tokyo and an 11-fold increase for flights from Hong Kong to Osaka.
However, interest in flights to Hong Kong remained unchanged, said Lavinia Rajaram, Expedia's head of public relations for Asia.
Although hotel quarantine may have disappeared, the city still imposes a three-day period during which visitors are prohibited from dining in restaurants or going to bars. That and complicated visiting requirements, including a pre-flight vaccination certificate and negative tests, may deter potential visitors.
In November, Hong Kong plans to host the international rugby sevens tournament, which has been held every year since 1976 except for the last two years. A popular show that attracted fans from abroad before the pandemic, it is doubtful how many will defy border restrictions.
While drinking is permitted, food will be prohibited at the event. Fans will also be required to wear their mask at all times, except when drinking, according to the city government.
Hong Kong's Asian neighbors, including Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, have taken steps in recent weeks to remove the last remaining barriers to travel, making them more attractive destinations for international travelers.
Another cloud hanging over the forecast is the permanence of the zero Covid regime in mainland China. In 2019, the last year before travel was heavily restricted, 78% of the city's visitors came from the mainland.
The government's effort to reopen and promote the city came too late for Maxence Traverse, a restaurant owner who had to close his business, Honi Honi Tiki Bar, last year.
He says the nine-year-old bar couldn't survive the 2019 protests and the pandemic. After a six-month hiatus, she opened a restaurant in the city's Tai Hang neighborhood, but is struggling to keep it running, she said.
Traverse's business is one of many in the food and beverage industry that closed permanently during the pandemic. Some of the city's most iconic Cantonese restaurants, including Mido Cafe, Jimmy's Kitchen and Lin Heung Tea House, have also closed their doors.
Traverse was very upset when he saw an interview with Hong Kong Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau, in which Lo said that Hong Kong will continue to open up unless a new Covid variant emerges.
“I cried. Depression. Really hard, that tough feeling. I said, 'Not again.' Almost the third year in a row. You know, it's been hard,” Traverse said.
He believes simply reopening the city won't be enough to restore what drew him there 12 years ago.
“We need to bring enthusiasm to Hong Kong, because right now we have lost a lot of things,” he said.
