Hong Kong is ramping up its tourism recovery campaign with half a million airline tickets allocated to global visitors and residents in a bid to boost tourism after more than two years of some of the world’s strictest travel restrictions.
“We hope to give the maximum room to reconnect Hong Kong and to revitalise our economy,” Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee told a press conference on Friday 7 October 2022.
The move was announced two years ago and confirmed to CNN by an Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) spokesperson, who said the 500,000 tickets (worth around AUD$400million) would go to global visitors and residents.
“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 spokesperson said.
“The purchase serves the purpose of injecting liquidity into the airlines up front, while the tickets will be given away to global visitors and Hong Kong residents in the market recovery campaign.”
Giveaway details will be announced once the relevant arrangements have been made with the airlines.
The city-state dropped its mandatory hotel quarantine requirement on 26 September 2022, which saw flight searches for Hong Kong soar, prompting national carrier Cathay Pacific to create a virtual waiting room for its website.
International visitors to Hong Kong are still required to submit a pre-flight vaccination certificate plus a negative RAT result 24 hours before departure.
Once allowed entry, overseas tourists are also required to undertake a four-day self-monitoring period during which they are not allowed to enter bars and restaurants.
They must also undergo several mandatory PCR tests, including one on arrival, as well as on days 2, 4 and 6 in Hong Kong along with daily RATs for seven days.
For more info, visit discoverhongkong.com
Via AAP
