In one of its biggest attempts to woo tourists, Hong Kong is offering 5,00,000 free tickets for fliers from all around the world. With the promotional campaign 'Hello Hong Kong' the tourism board is also offering city-wide offers covering Hong Kong Goodies visitor consumption vouchers, to entice travellers.
The plane tickets worth 2 billion Hong Kong dollars ($255 million) will come from various promotional activities, lucky draws and so on from three Hong Kong-based airlines. The project will begin in March and last about six months.
Dr Pang Yiu-kai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) told PTI that Hong Kong is back on the map for global travellers, with more excitement to offer than ever before. “We are extending the 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.”
Mr Jack So, Chairman of Airport Authority Hong Kong said, “These tickets were bought at the worst time of the pandemic, showing our confidence in the future of Hong Kong's aviation industry. The campaign will generate a multiplier effect on boosting air traffic and enormous publicity for Hong Kong.”
Fred Lam, CEO of the Airport Authority said, additional 80,000 tickets will be given away to Hong Kong residents in the summer.
Hong Kong received 56 million visitors in 2019 over seven times its population before the pandemic began. But its strict COVID-19 restrictions have been keeping visitors away over the past three years, devastating the tourism sector and its economy.
– With PTI inputs
