tourism

Hong Kong Drops Mask Mandate After Almost Three Years

John Lee, the Beijing-controlled chief executive of Hong Kong, announced on Tuesday that Hong Kong’s mandate to wear masks both inside and outdoors will be dropped on Wednesday, March 1. The mandate was imposed in July 2020, making it one of the world’s longest-lasting and strictest coronavirus mandates.

Commuters wearing face masks browse their smartphones as they ride on a subway train in Ho

Japan: Giant Squid Statue Built with Pandemic Aid Earning Its Keep with Tourist Revenue

The government of Noto, a central Japanese town known for its squid fishery, said Monday that its once controversial decision to erect a giant squid statue with pandemic relief funds in October 2020 had paid off, as it had since boosted tourism in the area and thus generated significant income for the local economy, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) reported Tuesday.

squid state

Unfinished Buildings Abandoned by Chinese Investors Litter Cambodia

The Cambodian city of Sihanoukville was a major international resort destination before the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic crippled its tourism industry. The city is now littered with empty and half-finished “ghost buildings” abandoned by Chinese investors. According to local entrepreneurs, these unsightly gang-infested husks are keeping the tourism industry from making a comeback.

Men walk past a casino in Sihanoukville on February 18, 2020. (Photo by TANG CHHIN Sothy /