Hong Kong is offering 500,000 free round-trip tickets to boost tourism – and Canadians have a chance to get in
Hong Kong is hoping to attract tourists again after a tough few years of the pandemic. The international travel hub, in partnership with several different Hong Kong-based airlines, has launched an ambitious campaign to attract people from around the world, which includes 500,000 free round-trip tickets. These include Cathay Pacific, HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines, which will also offer significant discounts and promotions on flights.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee called the Hello Hong Kong campaign “probably the world’s greatest welcome ever”.
Hong Kong is still recovering from the impact of tourism, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it now has looser entry requirements for travelers, it has pursued the “zero COVID” strategy, similar to that implemented by mainland China. People entering Hong Kong have had to stay in a quarantine hotel and take PCR tests, although those rules have changed in recent months.
The Canadian government still advises Canadians to exercise a high level of caution when traveling to Hong Kong due to the risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws.
In 2019, Hong Kong welcomed 56 million visitors, seven times its population.
Hong Kong’s GDP fell to 3.5% year-on-year in 2022, according to preliminary government data.
The Hello Hong Kong campaign will be rolled out in different regions over the next few months, starting with Southeast Asia in March and mainland China in April. In May, the competition will open to North Asia and other markets including Canada and the US
Canadians can win by enrolling in the Cathay Pacific membership program, found here. Due to legislation, Canadians have access to heavily discounted tickets but still have to pay fees such as airport taxes and surcharges.
In addition to the free entry tickets, visitors can also win free “goodie” prizes such as cocktails, gift vouchers for restaurants and shops, and special gifts from various museums in Hong Kong. To learn more about the Hong Kong Goodies, click here.
