Travellers flowed into China by air, land, and sea on Sunday, many eager for long-awaited reunions, as Beijing reopened borders that had been effectively closed since the outbreak of COVID-19.
After three years, mainland China opened sea and land crossings with Hong Kong and eliminated the requirement for incoming travellers to quarantine, bringing to an end a final pillar of a zero-COVID policy that had protected China’s 1.4 billion people from the virus but also isolated them from the rest of the world.
Long lines formed at the check-in counters at Hong Kong International Airport for flights to mainland cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Xiamen. Thousands, according to Hong Kong media, were crossing. Investors are hoping that the reopening will energise a $ 17 trillion economy that is experiencing its slowest growth in nearly a half-century. However, the abrupt policy change has resulted in a massive wave of infections that have overwhelmed some hospitals and caused business disruptions.
The border opening comes on the heels of the start of “Chun Yun,” the 40-day period of Lunar New Year travel that, prior to the pandemic, was the world’s largest annual migration as people returned to their hometowns or spent time with family.
According to the government, 2 billion trips are expected this season, nearly doubling last year’s movement and returning to 70% of 2019 levels.
Many Chinese are also expected to begin travelling abroad, which is a long-awaited change for tourist destinations such as Thailand and Indonesia. However, concerned about China’s COVID spike, several governments have imposed restrictions on Chinese visitors. Analysts predict that travel will not quickly return to pre-pandemic levels due to factors such as a lack of international flights.
