Lifting of black code calls for bright ideas
- With the scrapping of the final Covid-19 travel restriction at the border with mainland China, Hong Kong must make the most of opportunities this presents
There was relief at the border with mainland China this week when, for the first time in nearly four years, pandemic “black code” health declarations were scrapped. The change should be welcomed, despite fears easier travel may result in relatively more tourist spending on the mainland than in the city.
Now the government and private sector need to take steps to seize opportunities with the return to normality made possible by the end of the last remaining Covid-19 restriction.
Mainland customs introduced the system in January 2020 as part of their zero-tolerance approach to the coronavirus. Everyone going in or out had to complete online forms before accessing the QR codes required to proceed.
Long queues formed at the border as travellers, especially the elderly, fumbled with smartphones to complete a process many viewed as too complicated.
China risks a bad image with travellers if it does not get rid of health ‘black code’
Following the lifting of restrictions on Wednesday, tourists and commuters said procedures had improved. Local and foreign business groups in Hong Kong praised the move as a positive step on the way to improving connectivity.
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick Yeung Wai-tim said the change “makes it quicker and easier to travel within the one-hour living circle” proposed for cities in the Greater Bay Area development zone.
But representatives of the catering and retail sectors worry there will be an increase in the number of Hongkongers travelling north for weekends or holidays, a trend that has become increasingly popular.
Some in the retail industry have called for more action to help ease the city’s manpower shortage as a way of improving standards of service and luring more arrivals. Others have suggested an expansion of local themed events and night bazaars, which have been credited with a recent modest recovery in tourist arrivals.
Officials and entrepreneurs should join hands in an attempt to quickly face such problems, especially with the busy holiday season approaching along with the chance to bolster economic recovery. In the longer term, the lifting of the black code at the border should inspire more ideas about taking opportunities as the flow of people to and from the mainland returns to pre-pandemic levels.
