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Hong Kong is Giving Away 500,000 Free Flights to Come Visit in 2023
Free flight alert: The Hong Kong Tourism Board is inviting visitors to rediscover the bustling metropolis with the launch of its Hello, Hong Kong campaign. In an effort to revive its economy and boost tourism, the government is giving away a whopping 500,000 free plane tickets to those eager to experience all that the city has to offer. This initiative marks a major step towards reversing the devastating effects of four years of declining tourism numbers and reigniting the spark of this cosmopolitan hub.
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Image: Getty Images
John Lee, the city’s leader, announced the ticket giveaway during the launch event of the tourism campaign on Thursday. A spectacular affair with dancers dressed as aircrew members and chefs Lee took the stage and proclaimed that this was “one of the worlds biggest welcomes ever”. Don’t know if we’d go that far Johnny…
The campaign has the backing of three of the city’s major airlines – Cathay Pacific, HK Express, and Hong Kong Airlines – who will issue 65 per cent of all tickets directly. Cathay Pacific is currently the only airline offering direct flights between Australia and Hong Kong, so keep the airline bookmarked if you’re keen on the free trip.
Titled World of Winners, the flight giveaway will begin in March for travellers arriving from Southeast Asia, then in April for Mainland China, and finally in May for all other overseas regions, including Australia. The travel dates have yet to be announced.
To secure your tickets, you can visit the World of Winners website or the specific page for each airline. However, keep in mind that each airline may have its own unique approach to giving away free tickets. Some may use a lottery system, while others might follow a first-come-first-serve model or offer a buy-one-get-one-free deal.
In addition to the free airfares, the Board will also distribute 1 million consumption vouchers for use on travel-related activities such as dining and retail. Dubbed Hong Kong Goodies, this promotion offers free gifts to travellers visiting Hong Kong for a period of 90 days or less. However, it should be noted that each visitor is limited to choosing only one of these available offers.
When taking a squiz at those pesky Ts&Cs, you’ll notice Hong Kong Airport Authority will cover the cost of economy-class (dev0) airfare, but travellers will have to pay taxes and other fees. The campaign is part of a COVID relief package announced in 2020, costing HKD2 billion, or USD$250 million.
The campaign video features some of Hong Kong’s biggest stars, Aaron Kwok, Kelly Chen, and Sammi Cheng, exploring the city’s new attractions, including the M+ and Hong Kong Palace museums, which were developed during the pandemic but have not received the usual throngs of foreign tourists.
Hong Kong was once a top tourist destination, attracting 65.1 million visitors in 2018. However, the city faced a double blow of political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a sharp decline in its tourism numbers. The number of visitors dropped to 55.9 million in 2019 and plummeted to just 3.5 million in 2020 as the city closed its borders to foreign visitors and imposed strict quarantine rules. The situation worsened in 2021, with visitor numbers dropping to less than 100,000. Although the numbers rebounded to more than 600,000 in 2022, they are still a far cry from the city’s glory days.
As Hong Kong’s economy continues to shrink for the fourth consecutive quarter, economists have mixed opinions on the impact of the “Hello, Hong Kong” campaign. While Gary Ng of Natixis told The Washington Post that the initiative’s direction is a “good start,” the campaign’s long-term success will depend on whether Hong Kong can attract leisure travellers.
Dane Cheng, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, emphasized the city’s commitment to fully reopen to travellers, stating at a news conference that “we need to make it clear that we are now totally, fully, unconditionally reopening to our travellers.” However, foreign visitors still need to show proof of vaccination and recent negative COVID-19 tests before entering the city, and masking is still mandatory in all public areas.
So if putting a mask back on outdoors doesn’t trigger the trauma of the pandemic, head over to the Discover Honk Kong website and enter now.
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Sam Mangioni
Sam Mangioni is an experienced Staff Writer with an extensive background in digital content production and news. Prior to working for Man of Many, Sam spent three years at Southern Cross Austereo where he served as a Content Producer and News Reporter for the flagship Triple M Breakfast Program. The Sydney-based reporter completed a Bachelor of Commerce from Macquarie University Majoring in Marketing in 2014. A specialist in sport, lifestyle and gear coverage, Sam's work has also featured in Fight News Australia.
