Hong Kong holidaymakers in Okinawa on Friday contended with depleted supermarket shelves, potential power cuts and violent weather as Typhoon Dolphin shut the Japanese island’s main airport and disrupted every direct flight home. Social media images shared by Hong Kong-linked travel accounts showed empty bread shelves and torrential rain sweeping parts of the popular destination,…
A Hongkonger has described being “quite scared” as a 7.1-magnitude quake shook Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture where she and her boyfriend were travelling, while the city’s travel authority confirmed that about 200 members of tour groups visiting the region were all safe. Leon Chan, 18, recounted to the South China Morning Post that she and…
Unreasonably low prices offered by some mainland Chinese tourist groups visiting Hong Kong are a major factor behind coerced shopping, industry leaders have said, urging authorities to step up random inspections during the coming Labour Day “golden week” holiday. The Travel Industry Authority announced on Monday that it had previously revoked the licence of Star…
The Hong Kong government has raised the outbound travel alert for Iran and Israel to black, and expanded the amber alert to include Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The government on Monday announced the escalation “in view of the continued deterioration of the situation in the Middle East…
Demand for some regional holiday destinations among Hong Kong travellers has jumped by as much as 30 per cent ahead of Easter, as locals seek to avoid long-haul trips amid rising airfares and disrupted routes caused by the ongoing war in Iran, according to industry players. Travel agencies said the number of inquiries for trips…
Hong Kong’s tourism sector is bracing for a 6 per cent rise in mainland Chinese visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday, as travel to the city regains momentum. Tickets for high-speed trains from major mainland cities to Hong Kong have been selling fast in the days leading up to the festive period – an…
More than 650 Hongkongers on group tours to Taiwan have been confirmed safe following a 6.7-magnitude earthquake late on Saturday, while other travellers from the city have recalled feeling frightened as buildings swayed “from side to side”. The Hong Kong Observatory said the earthquake occurred at 11.05pm in Taiwan, with the epicentre located about 70km…
Hundreds of Hong Kong tourists were in Japan when a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck late Monday night, but local authorities said all were reported safe with no requests for help received so far. The Travel Industry Council on Tuesday said that about 20 Hong Kong tour groups – with about 300 people – were in…
Local travel agencies have been urged to reschedule the departure times for short-haul trips that fall on the Legislative Council’s election day on December 7, as part of the efforts by the tourism sector to help boost voter turnout. But the Travel Industry Council on Tuesday also said it was not encouraging members to provide…
The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong has left many Hong Kong residents and visitors impressed with its contingent of fighter jets and overall military prowess, while tourism sector veterans have said they are looking at how to capitalise on “future warship visits”. China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier and other vessels in its strike group began…