HONG KONG/TAIPEI/TOKYO -- Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan are opening their pandemic-shut borders to kick-start growth, banking on a tourism-led rebound, but a slumping world economy could dash hopes for a quick recovery.

The trio of East Asian economies said last week that they were dropping COVID-19 travel restrictions after more than two years of isolation, with financial hub Hong Kong on Monday ditching a mandatory hotel quarantine that sent visitors numbers plummeting.