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Hong Kong used to receive approximately 56 million visitors annually before the pandemic hit. However, after over two years of strict travel restrictions, the popular destination is now taking significant measures to attract tourists back.
Shortly after abolishing its long-standing mandatory hotel quarantine requirement, Hong Kong has announced plans to distribute half a million airline tickets for free in an attempt to boost tourism.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has confirmed this move, stating that the 500,000 tickets, valued at approximately $254.8 million, will be given to global visitors as well as residents.
According to a spokesperson from AAHK, “Back in 2020, Airport Authority Hong Kong purchased around 500,000 air tickets in advance from the territory’s home-based airlines as part of a relief package to support the aviation industry.”
“The purchase serves the purpose of injecting liquidity into the airlines upfront, while the tickets will be given away to global visitors and Hong Kong residents in the market recovery campaign.”
Further details will be announced once the relevant arrangements have been made with airlines, they said.
Due to its Covid-19 quarantine rules, Hong Kong has been largely isolated from the rest of the world. In the past, incoming travelers had to spend 21 days in a hotel room at their own expense, with only Hong Kong residents allowed entry.
However, the mandatory hotel quarantine was officially removed on September 26, resulting in a surge of residents booking flights on airline websites.
Lavinia Rajaram, Expedia’s Asia head of public relations, mentioned that Cathay Pacific, the city’s flag carrier, had to set up a virtual “waiting room” to access its website due to high demand. Additionally, Expedia saw a significant increase in searches for flights from Hong Kong to Tokyo and Osaka.
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee expressed his hope to reconnect Hong Kong and revitalize the economy through the distribution of free airline tickets.
Despite the removal of hotel quarantine, visitors to Hong Kong still have to comply with various rules and restrictions before and after arrival.
International travelers must present a pre-flight vaccination certificate, as well as a negative PCR test and rapid antigen test, before entering Hong Kong.
Once permitted to enter, visitors are required to self-monitor for three days and are prohibited from dining in restaurants or visiting bars.
Additionally, visitors must undergo PCR tests on days 2, 4, and 6 after arrival, as well as rapid antigen tests every day for seven days.
