Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Friday, Mar 31, 2023

Wait for free airline tickets to end soon

Wait for free airline tickets to end soon

The government is expected to announce details for giving away 500,000 airline tickets to tourists as early as Thursday, sources said.
The Tourism Board in October announced that flight tickets worth HK$2 billion will be given free to tourists. It is understood the board will also distribute shopping coupons to visitors to boost the city's consumption.

The air tickets were purchased by the Airport Authority from local airlines in 2020 to relieve their cash-flow pressure during the pandemic. Government officials had claimed the tickets could be saved for when the SAR relaunches its tourism campaign once the pandemic stabilizes.

Tourism sector lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung said that a part of the 500,000 air tickets has been used as prizes in Covid-19 vaccination lucky draws. He believed that the remaining tickets would be used to attract overseas tourists with most tickets distributed through airlines and the rest arranged through travel agencies.

Yiu also said the tickets could be distributed in phases since flight capacity has not fully resumed and the tickets will be mainly given to tourists from short-haul markets including the mainland, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries.

Yiu believed that various types of vouchers will be given to tourists as he learned that the Tourism Board has been in discussions with restaurants and bars.

He said the vouchers would be like "icing on the cake" to further boost the city's tourism sector.

Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Tourism Association, said the aim of distributing free flight tickets is to tell the world that Hong Kong has resumed its businesses.

Chui hoped that a portion of the free air tickets will be reserved for mainland tourists as they accounted for 78 percent of visitor arrivals in 2019 and also had the highest spending power.

"Many other countries are striving to get mainland tourists to travel and spend money there," Chui said. "The quickest way to save Hong Kong's economy is by giving away flight tickets to tourists from big mainland cities."

Chui also suggested that authorities should give away free cross-border bus tickets or high-speed rail tickets to further attract more mainland tourists.

He cited the example of Macau offering "buy one, get one free" bus or ferry tickets to visitors, with many Hongkongers planning to take advantage of the scheme - if they hadn't done so already.

"It works in terms of gimmick and there were practical results," Chui added.

Earlier this month, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said authorities will give away the 500,000 free air tickets through different schemes while the government will launch a large-scale promotional campaign next month.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
Close
0:00
0:00
Don’t Dismiss China’s Peacemaking Bid
Austrian Parliament members walk out when Volodymyr Zelensky begins speaking.
Father obliterates council members following viral TikTok of biological male masturbating in women’s bathroom..
Tsai Ing-wen received a "warm welcome" from the Chinese people in the US.
EU's von der Leyen: "We know this is an era where we rely on one single supplier. China. 98% of our rare earth supply."
China and Brazil have signed a new deal that will allow them to trade in their own currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary
Elon Musk and Others Call for Pause on A.I., Citing ‘Profound Risks to Society’
“We've had evidence prior to the pandemic that masks were largely ineffective at preventing community transmission of influenza “
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz:
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz rejects being labeled a "billionaire"
Jamie Dimon is being deposed over JPMorgan Chase role in Epstein lawsuits
Brand new security footage has just been released to the public showing the Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building
Social Media censoring users for saying the true
Smart Iranian fashion designer teaching dummy TV anchors lesson about reality
AMERICA, 2023
U.S. charges FTX's Bankman-Fried with paying $40 million bribe
Fallen 'Crypto King' Who Owes Millions to Investors Was Kidnapped and Tortured
Regulators blame social media for SVB's rapid collapse: 'Complete game changer'
AOC explains why she opposes banning TikTok
Singapore’s Prime Minister says China and US need to stabilize relations because world can't afford a confict between the two superpowers
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Reform Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pro democracy protest
Police violence in Paris
Paris: Some of the police are stepping down and showing solidarity with the protesters.
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Goldman Sachs cuts outlook for European bank debt over Credit Suisse crisis
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
The US government has charged Chinese businessman Guo Wengui with leading a $1 billion fraud scheme that cheated thousands of followers out of their money.
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
The BBC problem about China
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
"Will Fly Wherever International Law Allows": US Warns Russia After Drone Incident
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
Announcing GPT-4
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
China is calling out the US, UK, and Australia on their submarine pact, claiming they are going further down a dangerous road
A brief banking situation report
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
'No relation to the American SVB': India's SVC Bank acts to calm depositors amid brand name confusion.
Good news: The U.S. government is now guaranteeing all deposits, held by, Silicon Valley Bank, and the funds are available as of today
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
Saudi Arabia has announced a major breakthrough in diplomacy with Iran after two years of intense talks
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
×