hong kong tourism giveaway

U.S. Travelers Can Now Enter to Win Hong Kong Tourism’s Massive Flight Giveaway—Here’s How

500,000 flights are being given away to travelers from around the world..

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It’s about to be a lot cheaper to travel to Hong Kong—at least, if you’re one of the lucky winners.

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Hong Kong is offering 500,000 free flights to visitors in an effort to revive tourism after being mostly closed off to international travelers for nearly three years during the pandemic. The tickets have been doled out in phases. The initial batches were only available to Southeast Asia residents and then to those in mainland China. But now, North Americans are finally able to apply.

The giveaway is part of a recently launched Hong Kong Tourism campaign, titled “Hello, Hong Kong” —an effort to welcome back the 56 million travelers who visited the city annually prepandemic.

Here’s what you need to know about snagging a free airline ticket to Hong Kong.

How to get free and discounted airline tickets to Hong Kong

On May 17 at 5:00 p.m. PST/8:00 p.m. EST, contestants in the United States will be able to enter for their chance at one of the round-trip economy class tickets to Hong Kong. The tickets will be distributed through Cathay Pacific’s website, on a first-come, first-served basis. If they’re not already, customers need to first become a Cathay member (which is free ) and then visit the promotional page of the airline’s website to receive a promo code to book. (Our advice would be to go ahead and sign up for a Cathay account in advance of the giveaway.)

The flights to Hong Kong will be available from Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. It’s unclear how many tickets are available—per a press release “a limited number” have been allotted for Americans.

Additional caveats include:

• Passengers will still need to pay airport fees, surcharges, and taxes on the tickets
• Only one ticket is available per transaction
• Customers must travel within the next nine months with a minimum stay of two days and a maximum stay of one month
• All tickets are non-transferable and non-exchangeable (and only the taxes and surcharges are refundable)

Other giveaways

In addition to the flight giveaway, Hong Kong is offering travelers “Hong Kong goodies,” a collection of freebies and vouchers that include their choice of:

• A welcome drink at more than 100 participating restaurants, bars, and hotels
• A cash voucher worth HK$100 (USD$12.75 currently), which can be used for dining and shopping
• An “exclusive gift” that will be provided to visitors at attractions and museums throughout the city

The vouchers are being distributed at the Hong Kong International Airport visitor center, Kowloon visitor center, and the Kong Kong West Kowloon station visitor center throughout 2023.

The effects of the pandemic on Hong Kong’s tourism sector

The airline ticket giveaway is part of a larger Hong Kong COVID relief package. During the early days of the pandemic, Hong Kong gave the airlines $255 million to stay afloat. Some of that money is now being used to supplement the flights.

While only 500,000 flights will be given away, Fred Lam, CEO of the Hong Kong Airport Authority, said, “We hope those who secure the air tickets can bring two or three more relatives and friends to the city. . . . We believe this can help bring Hong Kong over 1.5 million visitors.”

From 2020 until the end of 2022, Hong Kong largely aligned itself with mainland China’s “zero-COVID” strategy (an effort to keep the number of COVID cases as close to zero as possible). It eventually started to relax its entry rules, but at a slower pace than other Asian countries, such as Singapore , Japan , and Taiwan . The city only dropped the last of its COVID travel rules in late December 2022 (though masking indoors and on public transport is still mandatory).

Hong Kong received 56 million visitors in 2019—more than seven times its population—before the pandemic began. But its strict COVID-19 restrictions had a severe impact on visitor numbers over the past three years, devastating the tourism sector and its economy. Hong Kong’s 2022 visitor numbers were just 1 percent of the 2019 numbers, and the city’s GDP last year fell 3.5 percent compared to 2021, according to government data.

At the start of this year, Hong Kong finally dropped its mandatory hotel quarantine rule and PCR tests for incoming travelers, resulting in a slight increase in arrival figures.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

Hong Kong Is Giving Away 500,000 Free Plane Tickets

The government hopes to boost tourism in the wake of the pandemic and civil unrest

Molly Enking

Daily Correspondent

Hong Kong implemented some of the world’s strictest safety protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the tourism board hopes a new plan, called “Hello Hong Kong,” will entice visitors to come flooding back. Over the next six months, Hong Kong will give away 500,000 free round-trip airline tickets to tourists, the government announced in a statement . 

John Lee, the chief executive of Hong Kong, unveiled the giveaway at a launch event earlier this month. “This, ladies and gentlemen, is probably the world’s biggest welcome ever,” he told the crowd, per the Washington Post ’s Joyce Lau .

The tickets will be available via three airlines: Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines and HK Express. According to CNN ’s Lilit Marcus, the arrangement will cost the government approximately $250 million.

If you’re hoping to snag a free trip, patience is key. Tickets will be released via lottery in three waves: Starting in March, travelers in Southeast Asia can apply, followed by residents of mainland China in April. The giveaway will open to other countries around the world beginning in May. 

Finally, a small portion of the tickets will go to Hong Kong residents traveling elsewhere, reports Condé Nast Traveller ’s Connor Sturges. The tourism board will also be giving out vouchers for visitors to use toward food, drinks or public transportation.

The giveaway is tied to a pandemic relief package from 2020, when the government purchased the tickets in an effort to keep the free-falling travel industry afloat. Now it’s using those purchases to help jumpstart tourism. 

Even before the pandemic, tourism had declined due to civil unrest in the region. In 2019, Hong Kong saw widespread pro-democracy demonstrations protesting the erosion of the Chinese territory’s autonomy. The following year, China imposed a national security law giving authorities “wide latitude to criminalize speech and stifle dissent in a territory once known for its independent courts and freewheeling legislature and newspapers,” write the New York Times ’ Mike Ives and Zixu Wang. Many who were arrested are now standing trial .

About 65 million travelers came to Hong Kong in 2018, according to the Washington Post . In 2019, amid protests and government crackdowns, only 56 million visitors arrived. That number dropped to less than 100,000 in 2021, then rose to 600,000 in 2022.

Fred Lam, the CEO of Hong Kong’s airport authority, thinks the giveaway could have a cascading effect, encouraging other travelers to purchase tickets. “We hope those who received the tickets will bring two to three more friends and family with them,” he said at the launch event, per CNBC ’s Vivian Kam.

​​Gary Ng, an economist at Natixis, told the Washington  Post that the new scheme is a “good start,” but its success will depend on whether travelers find Hong Kong to be an enticing destination.

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Molly Enking | READ MORE

Molly Enking is a writer, editor and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work can be found in Wired , Rolling Stone , PBS NewsHour, Grist , Gothamist and others. She covers health disparities, space, the environment, scientific discoveries and oddities, food and travel, as well as how art, pop culture and history impact the way we view the world. 

Get ready to apply for free flights to Hong Kong as next phase in giveaway opens

Apr 28, 2023 • 5 min read

Hong Kong is giving away 500,000 free round-trip airline tickets to international visitors © Shutterstock

From temples to skyscrapers, museums and beautiful street markets, there are so many ways to enjoy Hong Kong . If you're really lucky, you might be able to do it for cheap- ish as the tourism board continues to give away free round-trip flights - leaving you with more money in the bag to enjoy all the good stuff Hong Kong has to offer.

The  Hong Kong Tourism Board is encouraging arrivals now that borders have opened by giving away half a million plane tickets to international visitors.

The first part of the campaign opened to residents across Southeast Asia on March 1. Then, on April 1, people living in mainland China were eligible to apply. Now the next phase - which opens on May 9 - will apply to people living in the UK. 

Details on when travelers from the US, Europe and elsewhere can apply have yet to be released but it's likely the competition will extend to them sometime in May.

How can I get a free airline ticket to Hong Kong?

If you're living in the UK, you can enter your name into the flight-ticket lottery on the Hong Kong Airport website , or register via Cathay Pacific's website from 9am (GMT) on May 9. According to the tourism board, tickets will be awarded through a lottery system, or on a first come, first serve basis and buy-one-get-one-free purchases, so nothing is guaranteed. It's the luck of the draw in most cases.

The campaign covers airfare on round-trip economy-class flights. It’s important to note that if you win, you'll still have to pay any related surcharges, fees and taxes.

The competition will stay open for about a week with the winners contacted on May 15. Details on when people from elsewhere in the world can take part should be announced in the coming weeks.

Why is this happening?

While Hong Kong ’s borders reopened in mid-January, the return of tourist arrivals has been sluggish. It was only in December that Hong Kong ended social distancing, mandatory proof of vaccination and testing requirements for international visitors after aligning itself with mainland China’s zero-COVID strategy during the pandemic.

Now, the tourism board hopes its plan, “Hello Hong Kong,” will entice visitors to return with up to 500,000 free round-trip airline tickets up for grab in what Hong Kong chief executive John Lee called “probably the world’s biggest welcome ever.”

All year long, events and festivals – such as  Art Basel and the Dragon Boat Festival – will take place, and visitors will be eligible for discounts on food, drink, attraction admissions, accommodation and transport.

What discounts can I receive?

Arriving tourists will receive a welcome pack when they land in Hong Kong Airport that will give them discounts across 1500 attractions and services in the city. 

In a statement, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said that at least 1 million “Hong Kong Goodies” vouchers of value over HK$100 each would be given out to visitors, covering a complimentary welcome drink at participating bars, restaurants and hotels, or a cash voucher that can be redeemed against costs for local transport, accommodation and tourist attractions.

You can collect your welcome pack with vouchers from tourist-information desks in the arrival hall of Hong Kong Airport, as well as at the visitor desks at West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station, Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Piers and the Hong Kong– Zhuhai – Macau Bridge.

If I do go to Hong Kong, what events should I plan to see?

Hong Kong has planned about 250 events and festivals to tie in with the tourism campaign. Highlights include the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival , the Hong Kong Open , the Dragon Boat Festival and the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens .

When it comes to art, you can see the largest retrospective of Yayoi Kusama’s work in Asia (outside Japan) at the newly opened M+ museum  (until September 2023). In July, the Palace Museum will host an opening exhibition featuring 900 pieces, some on loan from the Louvre in Paris and others on display for the first time.

Will this campaign give tourism the boost it needs in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong had been struggling to attract tourists even before the pandemic began. In 2019, the city was plunged into a recession after a series of widespread pro-democracy protests against the mainland government’s increasing control over civic life in Hong Kong brought the territory to a standstill. 

Police cracked down, often violently , and in 2020 China imposed a wide-ranging national security law that effectively silenced demonstrations and limited free speech. Hundreds of protestors, journalists and activists were arrested, including minors – and many visitors stayed away  as other countries issued travel advisories for Hong Kong, encouraging visitors to exercise caution when planning a trip there. In turn, Hong Kong received 10 million fewer tourists in 2019 compared to the previous year. When tourist expenditure stalled, related industries including retail and hospitality took a battering— small-business owners even took to social media  to appeal to people to visit their stores to keep businesses afloat.

Speaking at a press conference after the launch of “Hello Hong Kong,” Chief Executive John Lee said that Hong Kong is now ready to welcome tourists again. The city has removed inbound travel restrictions and the long-running mask mandate ended on March 1, though according to the UK Foreign Office, travelers should expect "greater scrutiny from mainland authorities at border crossings between the mainland and Hong Kong at this time".

Whether the campaign will generate enough interest to bring tourism back to pre-2019 levels remains to be seen.

This article was first published Feb 28, 2023 and updated Apr 28, 2023.

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Hong Kong will pay for your plane ticket to visit in 2023: here’s how to apply

HK is giving away 500,000 plane tickets as it looks to revive its tourist industry

Last year, the Hong Kong tourist board announced plans to give away half a million free plane tickets to encourage tourism in 2023  – and now it’s finally, officially happening. 

Details of the giveaway were unveiled on February 2 by Hong Kong’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu, as part of the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign.  

How to get free air tickets to Hong Kong

Hong Kong Airport’s website  allows travellers to select their departure location and enter a draw to win a round-trip ticket. The giveaway periods are staggered, depending on what part of the world you live in.

Travellers from Europe

The ticket giveaway has now ended for travellers from the UK  and Europe . Entrants were asked to register for tickets on  Cathay Pacific’s website  and complete a quiz. Tickets will be allocated to those who answered the questions correctly on a first come, first served basis. Winners from the UK will be contacted with details  on how to redeem their prize on June 5 .

Travellers from North America

Starting May 17 , travellers from the  USA and Canada  can apply for tickets from Cathay Pacific. The  US giveaway  opens at 5pm PST/8pm EST, while the Canada giveaway opens at 6pm PST/9pm EST. The entry period will close on May 24 .

Travellers from Australia and New Zealand

The giveaway will open to travellers from Australia and New Zealand on  May 29 . 

Travellers from Asia

The giveaway is now closed for Southeast Asian travellers, but travellers from Seoul can apply from now until the end of June. Those from Japan and Taiwan wanting to win a free trip can apply from June and July. A portion of tickets has been awarded to travellers from mainland China , with more to come, according to Hong Kong Airport’s website. Travellers from Hong Kong wanting to win a return trip can apply in July.

Travellers from other destinations

The giveaway has ended now for travellers from Tel Aviv , but travellers from the UAE, Nepal, India and Bangladesh can apply from May 22 . The giveaway also opens to South African travellers from June 6 .

What airlines are taking part in the promotion?

Tickets will be available from the following airlines.

Cathay Pacific

You must be signed up to Cathay Pacific ’s website to enter the draw.

Hong Kong’s budget airline HK Express will also be giving away free air tickets.

Hong Kong Airlines

Hong Kong Airlines are giving away free round-trip flights from Seoul to HK.

Greater Bay Airlines

Visitors from Asia can enter to win flights to Hong Kong from Greater Bay Airlines .

What other discounts are available?

As if free flights weren’t enough, visitors will also be offered discounts on things like restaurants, shops, museums and more. It’s all in aid of bolstering tourism in the region under the  ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign. You can find out more about the discounts on offer here .

Why are they launching the free air ticket campaign?

The Hong Kong Tourism Board already bought tickets from carriers back in 2020 as part of the government support package for the aviation sector.

A one-way flight to Hong Kong would normally cost upwards of £500 from London or $1,000 from the west coast of the USA, and in total, it’s estimated the giveaway scheme will cost the Hong Kong government HK$2 billion to run. But that’s clearly worth it for a destination that has seen its tourist industry more or less completely collapse over the past few years – first due to the civil unrest of 2019, then the pandemic and one of the world’s strictest travel lockdowns.

Sounds pretty good, right? We certainly think a free trip to check out Hong Kong’s incredible restaurants , best-in-class bars , distinctive local neighbourhoods  and mountainous hiking trails  would be too good to pass up. Watch this space for updates.

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Hong Kong offers 500,000 free plane tickets to lure tourists back

The Hong Kong government is offering 500,000 free airplane tickets to visitors willing to travel to the city, in an effort to reverse four years of plummeting tourism numbers and to revive the economy. Hong Kong also announced Friday that it would fully open its border with mainland China on Monday.

The city’s leader, John Lee, unveiled the ticket giveaway during Thursday’s launch of the “Hello Hong Kong” tourism campaign, a splashy event featuring dancers dressed as aircrew members and chefs. “This, ladies and gentlemen, is probably the world’s biggest welcome ever,” Lee said onstage .

The mass ticket handout will open to Southeast Asia residents on March 1. It will expand to mainland China in April, and then northeast Asia and the rest of the world in May. Travelers can apply via the online channels of three participating Hong Kong airlines: Cathay Pacific, HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines.

The campaign video features Canto-pop stars Aaron Kwok, Kelly Chen and Sammi Cheng visiting new attractions that opened during the pandemic, like the M+ and Hong Kong Palace museums — big-budget government projects that have not drawn the usual number of foreign tourists.

Hong Kong was a global tourism draw in its heyday, before it was hit by a double whammy of political protests and the covid pandemic. In 2018, its visitor numbers reached a record-high 65.1 million.

That figure dropped to 55.9 million in 2019, when mass demonstrations resulted in violent clashes and a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters , which Lee oversaw as the city’s security chief.

In 2020, when Hong Kong closed its borders to foreign visitors and imposed strict quarantine rules because of the coronavirus pandemic, tourist arrivals dropped to 3.5 million. They then plummeted by 97 percent to less than 100,000 in 2021, as the city resorted to pandemic measures like mass quarantine camps . While visitors figures rebounded to more than 600,000 in 2022, they are still less than a hundredth of what they were in 2018.

The Hong Kong Airport Authority will cover the cost of economy-class airfare, although winners will have to pay taxes and other fees. The effort is part of a covid relief package announced in 2020 costing 2 billion Hong Kong dollars, or $250 million in U.S. dollars.

Hong Kong’s economy has shrunk for the fourth consecutive quarter and is down 4.2 percent year-on-year, according to advance figures published this week.

Gary Ng, an economist at Natixis, said by telephone that the direction of the initiative was a “good start” but that long-term efforts to rejuvenate the economy would depend on whether Hong Kong was attractive enough for leisure travelers to visit.

Dane Cheng, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said at a news conference that “we need to make it clear that we are now totally, fully, unconditionally reopening to our travelers.”

However, Hong Kong still has cumbersome requirements for foreign visitors to show proof of vaccination and recent negative coronavirus tests before entering. Masking is still mandated in all public areas, indoors and outdoors.

Theodora Yu in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that the 600,000 visitors to Hong Kong in 2022 was less than a tenth of the number in 2018. It was less than a hundredth. The article has been corrected.

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Hong Kong gives 500,000 free air tickets in bid to entice tourists

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By Danielle Long, Acting APAC Editor

February 5, 2023 | 2 min read

Listen to article 4 min

Hong Kong is giving free flights to encourage tourists to visit as part of a global campaign to bring travellers back to the country.

In a bid to attract tourists back following extended lockdowns and Covid restrictions, Hong Kong Tourist Board will giveaway 500,000 air tickets to entice people to visit.

The ‘Hello Hong Kong’ global tourism campaign aims to generate awareness that the country has lifted all travel restrictions and is open for travellers, while providing visitors with an irresistible offer to visit.

Dr Pang Yiu-kai, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), said: “Hong Kong is back on the map for global travellers, with more excitement to offer than ever before. We are extending a biggest welcome to the world through the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign, inviting friends from everywhere as they return to one of the world’s greatest tourism destinations.

“I am confident that Hong Kong’s vibrant east-meets-west culture, together with our iconic and brand-new attractions and immersive experiences will attract travellers back for an epic, unforgettable journey.”

The campaign also includes “Hong Kong Goodies” which are visitor vouchers providing a complimentary welcome drink at participating bars, restaurants, and hotels, or a cash voucher to be redeemed in the transportation, culinary and retail sectors, and attractions.

Explore frequently asked questions

The campaign also aims to promote Hong Kong’s upgraded attractions and event facilities as well as promote the 250 events and festivals to be staged this year including the Hong Kong Marathon, Art Basel, the Museum Summit 2023, Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival and New Year Countdown Celebrations.

HKTB said the campaign showcased Hong Kong’s warmest welcome to the world while showcasing the dynamic and diverse appeal of the city.

The tourism market is at its most competitive this year as nations around the world fight for visitors as they seek to redeem the losses caused by the pandemic lockdowns.

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Video: HK$2bn ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign gives away 500,000 plane tickets to help reboot tourism

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Hong Kong is giving away 500,000 plane tickets to overseas visitors as part of a HK$2 billion campaign to revive tourism after three years of strict Covid-19 restrictions.

The plane tickets will be distributed to Hong Kong airlines to be handed out to visitors in overseas markets, Fred Lam, the Chief Executive Officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, said on Thursday.

The carriers will hold promotional activities such as lucky draws, buy-one-get-one-free offers and games for the tickets to be won starting in March. The aim is to complete the distribution in six months.

The giveaway is part of the government’s “Hello Hong Kong” campaign to promote the city after the relaxation of tough Covid-19 rules that saw the city largely cut off from the rest of the world since the pandemic began.

Arrivals to Hong Kong in December last year were only five per cent of those seen during 2019. According to data obtained from the Tourism Board, the city saw 3,191,466 arrivals in December 2019, and only 160,578 last December.

“These free air ticket campaigns will kick off on March 1, lasting for six months,” Lam said. “The airlines will be rolling out the promotional campaigns at different times.”

The giveaway will first target potential tourists in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore, before expanding beyond the region.

“For those who get the free tickets, I hope they will be bringing along some relatives and friends,” Lam said, adding that he believed the tickets would have the multiplying effect of luring 1.5 million visitors to Hong Kong between March and September.

Dane Cheng, the executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said the city would also distribute vouchers to tourists which could be spent at retail outlets, for visitor attractions, transportation and other purposes.

Separately, Hong Kong will also give away 80,000 tickets to residents to travel overseas.

Covid-19 has severely hampered Hong Kong’s tourism industry. Over 6,586,260 arrived in the city in December 2018, compared with just 160,578 last December, figures from the Hong Kong Tourism Board show.

‘Hello Hong Kong’

After three years of Covid-19 restrictions, Hong Kong is “back on centre stage,” Chief Executive John Lee said at the launch of the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign on Thursday.

“Hong Kong is now seamlessly connected to the mainland of China and the whole international world,” he said. “There will be no isolation, quarantine, and no restrictions on experiencing our great wine and dine scene, on doing business… and on enjoying the hustle and bustle of Asia’s world city.”

Hong Kong has relaxed most of its Covid-19 measures in recent weeks, including scrapping a cap on group gatherings and the need to scan a mobile app before entering restaurants and other premises.

A mask mandate in all public places, including outdoors, is still in place, although authorities said they would  consider scrapping it  after the winter flu season.

In a video shown at the launch ceremony, the heads of international business chambers – including the US, French and Singapore chambers – praised Hong Kong as a premier hub for doing business.

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Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities.

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Hong Kong will give away half a million plane tickets for free in a bid to revive its COVID-battered economy

After more than two years of being closed off to the world, Hong Kong is so desperate for visitors that it’s willing to pay for their trips. 

On Wednesday, the city’s tourism board announced that it would give away 500,000 free plane tickets in a bid to revive the city’s tourism sector, likely starting next year.

“Once the government announces it will remove all COVID-19 restrictions for inbound travelers, we’ll roll out the advertising campaigns for the free air tickets,” said Dane Cheng Ting-yat, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The city stopped requiring inbound quarantine for international arrivals in late September.

Hong Kong is currently in an economic slump after a serious COVID outbreak earlier this year. The city’s government predicts that the economy will grow between –0.5% and 0.5% this year. 

A struggling aviation hub

Hong Kong attracted 56 million visitors in 2019, even as the city’s social unrest deterred some travelers from going to the city.

The city’s airport was also one of the world’s busiest for both passenger and cargo traffic. As late as February 2020, the month before the city imposed quarantine on all inbound arrivals, 660,000 passengers landed in Hong Kong International Airport. 

Yet tough COVID restrictions drove both visitors and airlines away. For over two years, Hong Kong required all international arrivals to go through inbound quarantine, which at times could be as long as three weeks in a quarantine hotel. 

Airlines also slashed flights to Hong Kong in response to the city’s snap flight bans . The government would suspend flight routes for two weeks if a plane carried enough positive COVID cases. Foreign cabin crew also expressed worries about flying to Hong Kong after COVID-positive crew members were sent to the city’s COVID isolation wards.

During the COVID pandemic, inbound passenger numbers fell into the thousands at times, according to data compiled by independent analyst David Webb. In September, Hong Kong’s airport recorded 155,000 arrivals.

The city is quickly scaling back its COVID restrictions: It eliminated inbound quarantine for international arrivals on Sept. 26, though visitors must still undergo regular testing and are barred from activities deemed high-risk, like going to a restaurant, for three days. 

Yet government advisers are already calling for the speedy rollback of even these remaining restrictions. 

Aircrew are also starting to get a reprieve. On Tuesday, Hong Kong said that locally-based aircrew no longer needed to isolate themselves in a hotel when they fly overseas. 

But the city still has a long way to go if it’s to recapture its status as an aviation hub.

Earlier this week, Virgin Atlantic said it would permanently end its flights to the city, and close its local office, blaming the extended flight time caused by avoiding Russian airspace. The airline hadn’t flown to Hong Kong since December 2021 because of the city’s COVID restrictions.

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Hong Kong plans 500,000 plane-ticket giveaway to woo tourists: Local media

HONG KONG - Hong Kong will give away 500,000 plane tickets to woo visitors back to the financial hub when the government removes all remaining Covid-19 restrictions on inbound arrivals, local media outlet Sing Tao reported in a column, citing people it did not identify.

Chief Executive John Lee may announce the plan to return to normalcy in his October policy address, unless the Covid-19 situation significantly worsens, the report said, citing political and business groups.

The giving away of the tickets, which the government purchased in 2020 to attract travellers, is one of the measures aimed at boosting tourism, it said.

The government estimated that it will take one to two quarters for tourists to return the city even after it cancels the remaining curbs that include three days of movement restrictions, according to Sing Tao.

Expectations are building that Hong Kong will look to scrap remaining restrictions on inbound travellers, who are barred from going to bars or eating at restaurants for three days and must test daily for seven days. These rules follow the recent removal of mandatory hotel quarantine.

The city's Covid-19 rules have kept it isolated for most of the pandemic, tarnishing its standing as a global financial centre and battering its economy. BLOOMBERG

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Hong Kong Tries to Repair Its Battered Image With Plane Ticket Giveaway

The city’s reputation has been hammered by protests, a harsh security law and strict Covid measures. It hopes a giveaway of 500,000 plane tickets woos back tourists.

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By Mike Ives and Zixu Wang

Interested in visiting a place that still calls itself “Asia’s world city” despite mounting evidence that it’s marching toward an insular, authoritarian future ?

Would your answer change if the flight there were free?

The Hong Kong government announced this week that it would give away about half a million plane tickets to foreign tourists, starting in March, as part of a post-pandemic campaign to revive its slumping tourism industry.

The Chinese territory also rolled out a friendly-sounding slogan, “ Hello Hong Kong ,” and noted that two museums that had opened recently were “providing visitors with more exciting experiences.”

“Hong Kong is now seamlessly connected to the mainland of China and the whole international world,” John Lee, the city’s chief executive and a former police officer , said during a kickoff ceremony on Thursday.

He added that there would be no isolation, quarantine or restrictions on “enjoying the hustle and bustle of Asia’s world city.”

Well, not quite.

Even though Hong Kong abandoned many of its Covid restrictions late last year, mask wearing is still mandatory indoors and outdoors, with few exceptions. Anyone caught without one faces a fine of up to $1,275.

And even if the former British colony is now open for business, its image as a safe, freethinking, cosmopolitan destination has suffered three grievous — critics say fatal — body blows over the past four years.

The first was the mass pro-democracy protests of 2019 , which often featured fiery street clashes between demonstrators and police. Subway stations were damaged, and tear gas regularly wafted into dense neighborhoods packed with high-rises.

A year later, the central government imposed a sweeping national security law that gave authorities wide latitude to criminalize speech and stifle dissent in a territory once known for its independent courts and freewheeling legislature and newspapers. Pro-democracy lawmakers were arrested in droves , and prominent media outlets were forced to close . (On Monday, several defendants will stand trial in the largest case yet involving the security law.)

Then, for most of the coronavirus pandemic, the government sealed the territory’s borders and imposed some of the world’s harshest restrictions on daily life.

Beaches were closed for weeks on end. Playground equipment was sealed off with police tape and chain-link fencing. Residential buildings were locked down because of a few positive cases. And, for a long while, almost everyone arriving in the city, including residents, faced a mandatory three-week hotel quarantine.

The announcements on Thursday were the government’s latest effort to rebuild Hong Kong’s cratered tourism industry. The city counted about 600,000 visitor arrivals last year, compared with more than 65 million in 2018, the year before the protests began.

In 2020, Hong Kong paid a public relations firm about $6 million to help it “reconnect with the world and relaunch as soon as possible,” as a senior official put it last year .

The government said this week that its six-month plane ticket giveaway, financed by a pandemic-era relief package , will initially target travelers from Southeast Asia and later those from the Chinese mainland and other locales. The majority of the tickets will be offered through airlines based out of Hong Kong, including Cathay Pacific, while others will be given away through tourism-related businesses.

Dino Chen, 26, who works in public relations in Hong Kong, said that while she thought the campaign could draw visitors in the short term, the “unclear” atmosphere in the city’s political and cultural spheres helped make the overall outlook for tourism uncertain. (One example: Before Hong Kong’s long-awaited M+ contemporary art museum opened in 2021, pro-Beijing figures criticized pieces in its collection as an insult to China and called for them to be banned .)

“I’m not really optimistic about a long-term recovery,” Ms. Chen said.

The “Hello Hong Kong” campaign has not attracted much attention on Chinese social media this week, she added, and many young people in the Chinese mainland would prefer to travel to Thailand and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Mike Ives is a general assignment reporter. More about Mike Ives

Zixu Wang covers news in China for The Times. He studied journalism in Hong Kong and international human rights law in the United States. He is currently based in Hong Kong. More about Zixu Wang