Passengers prepare to enter Shenzhen through the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on the first day of the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and mainland China on January 8, 2023 in Hong Kong.
Li Zhihua China News Service | Getty Images
Mainland China’s move away from a zero-Covid policy has led to a spike in infections, and travel again means some are looking for a vaccine further afield.
As of mid-December, China’s complete Covid vaccination rate was nearly 87%, with a 54% increase. The main Covid vaccines approved for use in China are from Sinovac and Sinopharm.
Mainlanders have flocked to Macao in recent months for the Western mRNA vaccine, which is distributed worldwide but not approved by China.
But even if patients try to book an appointment as early as mid-December, the next slot available at the Macau University of Science and Technology Hospital, the only location offering jabs to tourists, as of the end of February.
Analysts expect the list of vaccine tourism destinations to grow.
‘Nature’s first destination’: Hong Kong
“I believe the first destination of the Chinese vaccine tour will be Hong Kong. Then it will spread to Asia and the US, maybe beyond Europe,” Sam Radwan, president of management consultancy Enhance International, told CNBC.
“It’s been a long time since I went to Hong Kong. I was able to take a vacation and get vaccinated. Won’t this kill two birds with one stone? Without saying anything, I have made an appointment and am ready,” the man from Shaanxi province posted on the website. Chinese social media Weibo.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said in a press briefing in late December that the city “has reached a relatively high vaccination rate,” adding that it has “sufficient medicine to fight Covid.”
But Hong Kong will not offer free Covid vaccinations to short-term travellers.
“We want to prevent visitors from coming to Hong Kong to use vaccines at the expense of Hong Kongers and we will not offer government-sold vaccines for free to non-Hong Kong residents,” a Hong Kong government official said, adding that visitors must pay. stay a minimum of 30 days to receive the incentive shot.
Our new research suggests Hong Kong and Thailand could benefit the most from international tourism channels if China lifts visa restrictions and outbound travel gradually normalizes.
Expect to see waves of mainlanders traveling to Hong Kong to get the jab, said Lam Wingho, a member of Hong Kong’s Scientific Committee on Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, according to local media reports.
Lin said he receives constant inquiries from residents who want to know how relatives from mainland China can be vaccinated in Hong Kong, he was informed.
Thailand is another possible destination for vaccine tourists, and the country is among the top destinations sought by the Chinese, including Japan, South Korea, the US and Singapore.
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister said in late December that he was considering proposing a free vaccine for foreign tourists who request a booster shot.
And there is interest from the Chinese.
“At first, I didn’t plan to go to Thailand, but for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, I’m thinking of going,” said a Weibo user in Shanghai at the time of the announcement.
Another Weibo user living in Beijing wrote that the policy measure not only “helps attract tourists to Thailand,” but also offers various inoculations. “For mainland Chinese hoping for more vaccine options, they will be able to get vaccinated with the jab they want. Win-win.”
“Going outside of China has always been a big drug in the minds of many … I believe the Chinese will travel anywhere they can get medicine,” said Sam Radwan, president of management consultancy Enhance International.
CFOTO | Future Issue | Getty Images
“In the spillover effect of China reopening, our new study suggests Hong Kong and Thailand can benefit the most from international tourism channels if China removes visa restrictions and outbound travel gradually normalizes,” wrote Goldman Sachs in a research note on December 27.
“Going outside of China is always a big drug in the minds of many … I believe that Chinese people will travel wherever they can get medicine,” said Radwan Enhance International.