If you’ve been dreaming of a getaway to Hong Kong, there’s a big chance you might actually go on one. For free.
To help revive its tourism industry, Hong Kong is giving away 500,000 airline tickets to foreign tourists.
Why is Hong Kong giving away free tickets?
In 2019, prior to the pandemic, Hong Kong received 56 million visitors, almost 8 times its current population. In 2021, there were 91,000 arrivals, and in 2022 it increased to 604,564.
Even though it has relaxed its entry requirements, the strictly enforced restrictions that Hong Kong had in place for nearly three years battered its tourism industry, which is making a very slow recovery.
As a result, Hong Kong is giving away free tickets to jumpstart tourism back to its glory days.
The tickets, worth $254.8 million in total, were first purchased by the government in 2020.
How can one win tickets to Hong Kong?
The campaign will kick off on March 1, 2023, and most of the tickets will come from three Hong Kong-based airlines through various promotional activities, including lucky draws, ‘buy one, get one free’ promotions and games.
The participating airlines are: Cathay Pacific, HK Express, and Hong Kong Airlines.
Those who wish to enter the draw can register on the respective airlines’ websites.
Who will get the free tickets first?
The Hong Kong airport authority said that the tickets will be given away in phases, by region:
March 2023 – Southeast Asia
April 2023 – Mainland China
May 2023 – Northeast Asia and other markets
The tickets will be in economy class and passengers would be responsible for applicable taxes, fees and surcharges. Further details on the scheme can be read here.