Hong Kong Protests: Is It Safe to Visit?
If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you’ve seen what’s currently happening in Hong Kong with protests in regards to the extradition bill. This Wikipedia article covers the anti-extradition protests quite extensively.
I spent a week in Hong Kong in July and have received many questions regarding how safe I felt and if someone should consider postponing their planned trip. I’ll share with you my experience and ways to keep yourself informed and safe.
I want to emphasize that these are my own thoughts and experiences. I’ll provide resources and information on how you’re able to make an informed decision that best suits you.
I’m unable to advise if it’s safe or not. The situation changes on a daily basis and this is a decision you’ll have to make for yourself that best suits you. Check with your government’s website and travel advisories for Hong Kong.
Update (November 25, 2019): The CNN website has coverage of what’s happening in Hong Kong currently.
Where I stayed
I stayed in the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort area during my 7-day stay in Hong Kong. During my week there (July 17 through 24), everything ran like normal and you would never know anything was happening in the city. Since it’s summertime, the Park was busy and tons of families and groups were enjoying Hong Kong Disneyland.
My experience
I ventured into the city for an evening and stuck to Harbour City (Tsim Sha Tsui). I purposefully avoided the Central area (where the legislature is). Before going, I checked the news and at the time there were no demonstrations where I was wanting to visit.
The area, at the time, felt like business as usual. If I didn’t pay attention to the news, I wouldn’t have even known anything was happening.
Hong Kong Disneyland
For the most part, Hong Kong Disneyland has remained unaffected by the Hong Kong protests. As of this writing, the strikes on Monday, August 5, 2019, caused some attractions and entertainment to be cancelled at the Park on that day. Operations have since returned to normal.
The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is close to the Hong Kong International Airport and is away from the city center (where most of the protests are happening). The airport did experience a peaceful protest on July 26, 2019.
I reached out to Hong Kong Disneyland and received a response from their spokesperson:
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort makes every effort to ensure that our Guests have an excellent experience. We endeavor to provide a magical experience to our Guests in a seamless manner.
The resort has continued to provide Guests from different parts of the world with magical experiences. Our resort is in normal operation and we look forward to welcoming you.
During my stay at Hong Kong Disneyland, I always felt safe. I’d personally return without hesitation (unless a travel advisory was issued by my home country of Canada).
How to stay informed
Stay up-to-date on the news leading up to your trip. As of right now, no one knows what is going to happen with these protests and how long they’ll continue. The protests have been moving around the city and have been mostly peaceful. However, things can change at a moment’s notice. Here are a few resources to keep yourself informed:
While travelling always pay attention to what’s happening in your surrounding area. This means, don’t be entirely consumed by your phone. Take note of the closest exits, the crowds around you, and where the nearest MTR station is (in case you need to leave immediately).
Keep an eye on your government’s website for travel advisories to Hong Kong:
How to stay safe
Before you go anywhere in Hong Kong, check the latest news for any report (a simple search does the trick). Avoid any areas where the Hong Kong protests are currently happening. Transportation could be affected due to protests in certain areas. If you find yourself in an area where a protest is happening, then I’d recommend leaving the area immediately.
If you’re in the city, do not wear white or black shirts. These colours are used for those who are participating in the demonstrations.
Should you cancel or postpone your trip?
That’s a personal decision you’ll have to decide yourself. With that said, if you’ve already booked your trip (again we have no idea how long these demonstrations will last), then I’d continue with your plans but stay updated on what’s happening in Hong Kong and adjust accordingly.
If you’re travelling with children, I recommend sticking to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort area. You can head into the city, but stay updated on what’s happening in case you need to avoid specific areas.
If you decide to (or need to) change your travel plans, then take note of change or cancellation fees for your flights, hotels, and anything else you’ve pre-booked.
Buy Travel Insurance
Always ensure you have travel insurance! This is the best advice that I can give you. If your government issues a travel advisory for your dates of travel, then some costs of the trip could be covered under your travel insurance. The details of your insurance differ based on your country of residence, so it’s important to read the details regarding trip cancellation.
I highly recommend World Nomads for travel insurance. I use them exclusively while travelling overseas.
I can’t emphasize enough that you need to have travel insurance. This goes for any type of travel. Whenever I travel, even if it’s a few days overseas, I always have travel insurance. My thoughts are if you can’t afford travel insurance then you can’t afford to travel. That’s the one thing I never skip.
Whatever you decide, make sure it’s the right decision for you and those travelling with you. As a solo traveller more often than not, I felt safe while in Hong Kong and wouldn’t hesitate to visit one of my favourite cities in the world during this time. I’d make sure to avoid any areas where protests are happening.
Feature photo by Unknown Wong on Unsplash.
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Great write up! We’re still going!
Thank you. It is very helpful to receive information from someone who has been in Hong Kong and has seen the areas I will be visiting in October.
Good article. I did what you suggested and clicked on the South China Morning Post. The headline of course, was the protest, but there was a practical article as well about traveling there. I think staying at the resort is almost a world away from being right in the heart of the city, even though it’s a short train ride away. Still, the article notes a number of flights being cancelled, and that is an issue you do have to pay attention to.
Great article. Heading there in October and appreciate the links.
Thank you so much for this article. My daughter is attending SCAD’s Hong Kong campus and we will going to Hong Kong Dinsey before and after our trip to Toyko Disney and DisneySea. We plan on continuing with our plans, SCAD keeps us abreast about the situation…they even cancelled classes on the 6th. We are due to arrive the end of the month…so much can happen before then… fingers crossed.
The link you have there is to a YouTube video. Please edit your comment with the proper link.
If the trip isn’t already booked, be sure to check if a new travel insurance policy would provide coverage. Most won’t on a new policy since the protests are a known and ongoing event.
I was in HK during the “umbrella movement” protests as well as Bangkok during the coup a few years back and had a similar experience- unless in the immediate area you’d never norice anything but the advice to check advisories often is good. As is checking the shirt colors for particular protests
Thanks so much for another great post. We have booked for an October visit but have been very nervous and have been tracking media coverage daily. Last week we were ready to cancel but will now proceed with our October booking. We have booked the Frozen suite for 8 nights for 2 toddlers so we are praying that it calms down! I called the team at HK Disneyland hotel and they assured me that there has been no disruption to the Disney resort area to date. They also said they are still going out as that normally would in their spare time but just to be cautious if traveling into city area on weekends. It made us feel much calmer.
Thanks for the updates! We’re still not going to a place where we have to consistently check news updates. We can always go to other Asian cities and Asian Disneyland like Shanghai and Tokyo and not have to worry about which area to avoid so we’re crossing out Hk for the moment.
Is it safe to visit HK Disney land now even?. I am planing to go mid December. With 3 kids
We went in early November. Our hotel was in the Mong Kok neighborhood. When we booked several months prior, it was an area where demonstrations were not occurring with much frequency. That has recently changed and I can confirm that the demonstrations are getting more frequent and can pop up unexpectedly. But it was business as usual at HK Disneyland. Luckily., we did not have any trouble getting to and from HK Disney. But the MTR (subway) stations can be shut down with little notice so I would recommend staying close to the HK Disney resort to avoid transportation issues to and from the park. If you are planning to do some sightseeing in the city, be flexible with your plans and allow for more time to get from place to place. I never felt unsafe. I would go again in a heartbeat.
Thank you for sharing your experience! This will help others decide what’s best for them. Thank you again!
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