Time to scratch a three-year itch

Eunice Lam

Hundreds of travelers - most of them feeling lucky - headed to the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan yesterday as services resumed for the first time in three years.

The first ferry to Macau pulled out at 7.30am, and a first batch of around 130 passengers arrived at Taipa Ferry Terminal less than an hour later.

One of those disembarking was a man named Tse among a crowd of nine friends who were all eager to be on their way to the first casino they had on their itinerary.

"I haven't been to Macau in three years," Tse chattered. "I'm very excited. I can't wait to go to the casino and play."

Another man, Chan, was already thinking ahead, saying: "I'll be buying some souvenirs for my friends - if I win."

Apart from the gambling urges, traveler Chong said he was in Macau to walk around tourist spots such as St Paul's facade.

But he was worried there would be a crush when crossing from one SAR to the other, so he bought three return tickets to ensure he could be back in Hong Kong by last night.

Some 1,700 people left Hong Kong on a ferry to Macau by 4pm, according to the Immigration Department.

And it was easy going at Taipa, with arrivals needing only 15 minutes to enter Macau.

There are 16 ferry trips between Sheung Wan and Taipa every day from 7.30am to 5.30pm.

A Macau Marine and Water Bureau spokesman said some 1,500 ferry tickets were sold up to Saturday, and he expects passenger numbers to peak during the Lunar New Year holiday.

That period could see more ferries, with night services if needed.

A spokesman for the Macau Tourism Office said multiple promotions, such as ticket discounts, have been launched as Hong Kong tourists return to Macau.

And a series of activities are being organized during the Lunar New Year to appeal to Hongkongers.

Meanwhile, travelers from the mainland were busy around the postcard St Paul's facade, with some adding pharmacy visits to shopping schedules.

"I bought a lot, mostly flu relief and bonesetting medicine," one said.

Pharmacies were in fact packed with people, while staff at souvenir shops were also primed for a boost in business.

Among Macau residents welcoming the revival of tourism, one said: "There are more visitors, and it's really a piece of good news for all of us."

But he cautioned that medications have become more expensive during the three years of the pandemic.

And on streets near St Paul's, one of the busiest tourist areas, many shops have been left vacant as another sign of the last three years.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com