Since reopening to international tourism in March 2023, international arrivals numbers to China have been lower than anticipated by that country’s government. To encourage more foreign tourists to visit, Beijing has temporarily eliminated tourism visas for a number of countries, mostly in the EU. Starting 1 July of this year, there will now be Chinese […]
COVID-19
Downtown Check-In Reopening Next Month in Hong Kong
After more than three years, it appears that downtown check-in is finally returning to Hong Kong. Starting 5 July, passengers on select airlines will once again be able to realize downtown check-in for their flights at the Hong Kong Island Airport Express station, by the ifc Mall in Central. Lamentably, the last time I was […]
China Eastern VIP Lounge 137 at Shanghai Pudong, China
I’ve searched English and Chinese websites for information about Shanghai Pudong’s China Eastern VIP Lounge 137, but I’m getting the feeling it’s like that fortune-telling machine from the movie “Big.” There’s a deluge of information about other Shanghai Pudong lounges, all with lucky or lucky-lite numbers (that is, nothing with a four), but 137? No […]
No More PCR Tests to Enter China, But …
No more PCR tests will be needed to enter China, as of 29 April. Indeed, with regards to COVID-19 entry requirements to China, things have come a long way, even since the first quarter of 2023. In other words, it’s no longer a sisyphean task to enter the country, particularly as a non-resident. The […]
Next Month, Japan Is Eliminating All COVID-19 Restrictions
Japan eliminates all COVID-19 restrictions … that has nice ring to it. Especially after all of those months of waiting in vain for the country to open (i.e. to reciprocate). And then seeing it open to badly planned tour groups. And then this: Yep, that was back in September 2022. I was able to get […]
How Awecool: China is Reopening to Tourism
After nearly three years, China will be reopening to tourism. Starting from 15 March, you can once again dust off those Chinese tourist visas. Better yet, if you had a Chinese tourism visa issued before 28 March 2020 — that is, the date China sealed itself off from the world — those will return to […]
Brandenburg.2: The EU Again Threatens an Entry Fee Starting in 2024
For the title of this post, I was wavering between the current one, and Brandenburg.2: Electric Boogaloo. For some background, Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER) was slated to open way back in 2011, but due to a number of issues, only opened on 31 October 2020. Similarly, the European Union’s has frequently delayed its plan […]
Hong Kong Eliminates Something Else, But is it Enough?
But most of us still have to test to visit? In early February, Hong Kong and China agreed to eliminate arrival quotas and COVID-19 testing for those crossing directly between the two places. Unless the visitor … had been overseas within the prior seven days. Overseas as in Japan, Egypt, Taiwan? Sure, everywhere else. Now, […]
