Hong Kong will give away 500,000 plane tickets to lure visitors back to the financial hub when the government removes all remaining restrictions on inbound arrivals, as previously reported by The Standard.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong set aside HK$2 billion in 2020 for buying some 500,000 flight tickets from airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Express, Hong Kong Airlines, and the now out-of-business Cathay Dragon.
Chief Executive John Lee may announce the plan to return to normalcy in his October policy address unless the
Covid-19 situation significantly worsens, The Standard’s sister publication Sing Tao Daily said, citing political and business groups. Giving away tickets, which the government bought in 2020 to attract travelers, is one of the measures aimed at boosting tourism, it said.
The government estimated that it will take one to two quarters for tourists to return to the city even after it cancels the remaining curbs, including three days of movement restrictions.
Expectations are building that Hong Kong will look to scrap remaining restrictions on inbound travelers, who are barred from going to bars or eating at restaurants for three days and must test daily for seven days, following the recent removal of mandatory hotel quarantine. The city’s strict
Covid-19 rules have kept it isolated for most of the pandemic, tarnishing its standing as a global financial center and battering its economy.