Hong Kong’s leader John Lee has announced the city is giving away 500,000 airplane tickets this year to encourage tourism.
As part of the “Hello Hong Kong” initiative the ticket giveaway is expected to begin in March and will last six months. It’s all part of the government’s plan to revive the city’s economy after its self-imposed three-year isolation during the pandemic.
The tickets will be given out through three Hong Kong’s carriers Cathay Pacific, HK Express, and Hong Kong Airlines and will be phased. It will start with Southeast Asian markets, then mainland China and North Asia, and then other countries.
Over 80,000 tickets have also been reserved for Hong Kong residents which will be given out in the summer. Following the ease of travel restrictions in China multiple carriers have also begun flights between China and Maldives.
Before the pandemic, Hong Kong receives over 25 million visitors annually.