Are the Hong Kong Protests Making Travel Unsafe?

Hong Kong is one of the largest tourist destinations for foreigners visiting China due to it’s combination of British and Chinese culture, it’s relative freedoms, and it’s famous nightlife and food scene. While it’s known as a bastion of freedom in a land where freedom is hard to find, the city is currently being rocked by protests pushing for more democracy and more freedoms. These protests stem from the communist governments decision to vet all of the candidates for the next election for the leader of Hong Kong’s government, something that has never happened before and something that is most certainly a step backwards from the relatively liberal Hong Kong political environment. This has obviously lead to a large amount of dissent in the population and the protests have swelled to tens of thousands as students and members of Occupy Central (an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street) have taken the lead and are coordinating efforts. While the protests are large and bring the city to a halt, does it make traveling there dangerous?

While there is always a risk while traveling in countries and cities undergoing public insurrection and popular dissent, Hong Kong is still relatively safe as long as you avoid the hot spots of action. In fact, people around the world have been shocked at how peaceful, organized, and seemly festive the protests have become after the initial clashes with police and tear gas. Even though the city is relatively safe, people will find it more difficult to get around due to the protests jamming up and blocking traffic lanes and public transportation. The protesters are handing out water and gas masks to people walking through the protest areas as well as giving them directions and letting people pass unhassled. Even though the situation may change at any second and people should obviously be careful, there doesn’t seem to be any danger in traveling to Hong Kong and experiencing the wonder of the city.

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