What the future holds

For those itching to get out of Hong Kong, overseas travel is all set to change significantly. Andrea Oschetti, founder of Blueflower Inspired Travels, compiled the Global COVID-19 Impact Industry Report in April, based on input from 19 luxury outbound travel specialists from major cities around the world.

It concluded that going forward, travelers will plan with shorter notice, take less frequent yet longer trips, and travel, on the whole, is going to be more expensive. The specialists also feel that COVID passports will be necessary, with privacy and isolation driving the choice of destinations.

"I see light at the end of the tunnel," said Oschetti. "The proposed travel bubbles are steps in the right direction and encouraging to our business. Although I believe Japan will remain closed until after the Olympics, that event will be a watershed moment. We will see after that if things open up more."

Oschetti predicts that the Hong Kong government will remain conservative, and that locals will only want to travel for leisure when destinations are quarantine-free again. In the meantime, he witnesses many spending time hiking in South Lantau near his home. "All the people who normally are abroad are here and rebalancing," he said. "I see it every weekend on the beach. And we have many beautiful local options."