Fancy visiting Hong Kong? The government wants you to, too.
Prior to the global pandemic taking over, the Asian city recorded 56 million arrivals in 2019. The last few years have hit the region’s tourism industry hard, however, with visitors still required to undergo mandatory isolation until just a few months ago. As a result, the city’s GDP was 3.5% lower in 2022 compared to 2021.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board has now come up with a plan to attract more tourists.
From March 1, 500,000 free airline tickets will be given away in a bid to woo more visitors. The tickets were initially bought to support airlines during the pandemic and are worth around $270 million.
The ticket giveaway, which will be done in phases, is set to last for about 6 months. They will be distributed by Cathay Pacific, HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines, starting with Southeast Asian countries, followed by mainland China and Northeastern Asia. An additional 80,000 tickets have been set aside for Hong Kong residents in the summer.
As part of the campaign, entitled “Hello Hong Kong,” the city will host more than 250 events this year, including the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament, the Hong Kong Marathon, and Art Basel.