Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong has expressed optimism about the implementation of quarantine-free travel arrangements between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau in the near future.
Addressing a one-day Q&A session in the legislature’s hemicycle on Friday about his portfolio’s policy guidelines for next year, Lei also pledged that the local government will continue to ask the central government to allow mainlanders’ tour groups to come to Macau again next year.
The Hong Kong government has been working over recent months to ensure that its entry, quarantine and various other COVID-19 measures are carried out in coordination with the mainland, in a bid that the mainland authorities lift their mandatory quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong.
In reply to questions from reporters about recent media reports that the phased implementation of quarantine-free travel arrangements between the mainland and Hong Kong would possibly get off the ground next month, Macau Health Bureau (SSM) officials said last week that Macau could lift its quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong once quarantine-free travel arrangements between the mainland and Hong Kong have started.
Currently, those traveling between the mainland and Macau do not need to quarantine upon their arrival at either side, they are merely required present a nucleic acid test (NAT) certificate confirming a negative COVID-19 result valid for seven days.
Those from Hong Kong must undergo 14 days of hotel quarantine upon their arrival in the mainland or in Macau.
Hong Kong residents returning from the mainland or Macau can apply online to be exempted from the Hong Kong government’s quarantine requirement – i.e., Return2hk Scheme. In addition, non-Hong Kong residents coming from Guangdong or Macau can also apply to be exempted from Hong Kong’s quarantine requirement – i.e., Come2hk Scheme.
The local government has reaffirmed that Macau has always been carrying out its COVID-19 measures in close coordination with the mainland.
During Friday’s Q&A session, Lei said that before the COVID-19 pandemic which started early last year, mainlanders had accounted for about 70 percent of visitor arrivals to Macau, while those from Hong Kong had been taking up 19 percent. Lei said that with COVID-19 measures getting similar among the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, he believed that the commencement of “free” travel arrangements between the three regions “can be expected in the near future”.
Lei pledged that the Macau government will continue working to make further improvements to its COVID-19 measures with the aim of ensuring that the city will continue with its achievements in COVID-19 prevention and control measures, which he said would be beneficial to the local government’s discussion with its mainland counterpart on the possible resumption of tour groups from the mainland being allowed to visit Macau again.
Consequently, Lei said, the local government will strengthen its promotional campaigns next year to welcome more visitors to the city. The policy secretary also urged “everybody” in civil society to work with the government to attract repeat visitors.
According to Lei, the findings of research studies from the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) have indicated that those aged between 24 and 35 are currently Macau’s biggest visitor segment. Consequently, Lei said, the local government will work with the aim of diversifying experiences enjoyed by those visiting Macau through its various “tourism+” schemes.
Lei said that facts have proven that “without visitors, the export of services which accounts for the biggest part of Macau’s GDP is certainly hard hit”, adding that the number of visitors to Macau has significantly recovered since Zhuhai lifted its mandatory quarantine for arrivals from Macau on October 19.
Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong (centre, upper row, not wearing a facemask) speaks during Friday’s Q&A session about his portfolio’s 2022 policy guidelines in the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) hemicycle. Photo: GCS
