Hong Kong To Give Away Half A Million Plane Tickets To Woo Back Tourists

Last year, the Hong Kong tourist board announced plans to give away 500,000 free plane tickets to encourage tourism in 2023 once the city has lifted its COVID travel restrictions.

Hong Kong has rolled back COVID travel restrictions in recent months including mandatory isolation on arrival. Now, it has finally unveiled its plan to revive the tourism industry and lure visitors back to the city.

Hong Kong received 56 million visitors in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic but its strict COVID restrictions have kept visitors away over the past three years, devastating the tourism sector and its economy.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee launched the $2 billion ‘Hello Hong Kong' campaign, with the flight ticket giveaway starting on 1 March 2023.

How To Get Free Plane Tickets To Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s free ticket giveaway will kick off on 01 March 2023. The 500,000 airline tickets up for grabs will be distributed to overseas travellers by airlines Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines over the course of six months.

Tickets will be distributed gradually starting with visitors from South-East Asian countries, followed by those in mainland China and in North-East Asia. A portion of the tickets will also be handed out to visitors from Europe and the US.

The tickets will be released in the following phases:

March: Southeast Asia
April: China
May: Northeast Asia & other countries

Another 160,000 air tickets will also be given away to Hong Kong citizens as well starting in July.

The giveaway will launch soon, and Cathay is the first airline to open up its page for registrations. ‘World of Winners' is the name of the promotion, and those interested will need to register with the airline and then keep an eye out for when the selection process begins. Expect to see more details rolled out in the coming weeks as the next two carriers launch their programs. You can also check the Hong Kong International Airport website for updates.

Visitors can also enjoy special offers and vouchers among other incentives in the city.

The city will also host more than 250 events and festivals throughout 2023, from the Hong Kong Marathon to the Clockenflap music festival, Art Basel, and Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.

COVID Entry Requirement To Hong Kong

Hong Kong largely aligned itself with mainland China’s ‘zero-COVID' strategy. In September, mandatory quarantine on arrival was dropped. But even after Hong Kong reopened its border with mainland China in January, tourism recovery was sluggish.

Now, the rules have been relaxed further. Visitors no longer need to self-isolate on arrival, providing they test negative for COVID.

Inbound tourists are subject to rapid antigen testing on arrival and again on day five of their visit. If you test positive, you are required to self-isolate for five days in your hotel or accommodation.

Proof of vaccination is required for inbound travellers over 12 years old unless they have proof of medical reasons why they cannot be vaccinated.

Do you have plans to visit Hong Kong? Talk to us in the comment section below. Or if you need more advice on the above, contact us for further travel & immigration advice.

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