Hong Kong woos global tourists with 5 lakh free air tickets to aid pandemic recovery

In a bid to aid recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong has started giving out free air tickets to global tourists. The popular destination that used to have around 56 lakh visitors a year before the pandemic struck is trying to get back on its feet after two years of travel restrictions.

Days after scrapping the mandatory hotel quarantine requirement, Hong Kong has confirmed plans to give away half a million airline tickets.

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Confirming the move, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said the 5 lakh tickets worth around $254.8 million, would go to global visitors, along with residents.

"Back in 2020, AAHK purchased around 5,00,000 air tickets in advance from the territory's home-based airlines as part of a relief package to support the aviation industry," said an AAHK spokesperson.

"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."

However, more details will be announced once the relevant arrangements have been made with airlines, they said.

Hong Kong has been largely cut off from the rest of the world due to its Covid-19 quarantine rules, which at one stage required incoming travelers to spend 21 days in a hotel room at their own expense, with only Hong Kong residents permitted entry.