In Hong Kongโs biggest post-COVID bid to revive its flagging tourism sector yet, the city recently announced it will be giving away 500,000 free flights โ with the first phase of fares to begin distribution on 1 March in Southeast Asia.
The initiative comes as part of the Hong Kong Tourism Boardโs โHello, Hong Kongโ campaign โ a year-long drive that will see the distribution of 1 million consumption vouchers for use on fun travel-adjacent activities (e.g. dining & retail) on the ground, in addition to a further 80,000 airfares earmarked for local residents.
The campaign marshals together support from three of the cityโs biggest airlines: notably including Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific who are (at time of writing) the only airline to offer direct flights between Australia and the Asian financial hub.
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With just over a month to go before โHello, Hong Kongโ kicks off, itโs worth clarifying some of the finer points associated with timing and distribution. For starters, 65 percent of all tickets will be issued directly via Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines and budget carrier HK Express. As previously mentioned, the March phase will cover off travelers inbound from Southeast Asia; to be followed by Mainland China in April, and crucially, all other overseas regions (e.g. Australia, Japan, and Korea) in May.
As for the flights themselves, a quick glance over the all-important T&Cs reveals that the majority of fully paid fares will be in *drum roll* economy; with the possibility of more premium travel classes which have been โgenerously discountedโ left open. Itโs also worth noting how travelers will get their hands on round-trip tickets: available through four primary mechanisms including raffles; โfirst come, first servedโ events; โBuy 1, Get 1 Freeโ; and a various yet-to-be-announced games.
International travelers contemplating a visit can visit the Discover Hong Kong website at any time for the latest updates about free flights and the consumption voucher scheme. In the meantime, crack into our Insiderโs Travel Guide: full of curated dining, shopping and accommodation experiences that should give you plenty to do in the +852 over a four-day period.
