Hong Kong has announced it will be giving away 500,000 free flights in an effort to tempt visitors back to the city, after having been all but closed off to tourists for almost three years. The economy class tickets will be offered by three Hong Kong-based airlines – Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, and HK Express.

The giveaway is part of the city’s big-budget “Hello, Hong Kong” tourism campaign, run in partnership with the operators of Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK). The chief executive of AAHK, Fred Lam, spoke about his hopes for the promotion, saying,

“We hope those who secure the air tickets can bring two or three more relatives and friends to the city. We believe this can help bring Hong Kong over 1.5 million visitors.”

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

As well as the free flight giveaway, travelers arriving in Hong Kong will also be offered:

• A complimentary welcome drink at more than 100 participating hotels, bars, and restaurants
• A HK$100 ($13) voucher to be put towards dining and shopping around the city
• A special surprise gift when visiting certain attractions and museums

How does the promotion work?

The free tickets will be given away in three phases, starting on March 1st, when only residents of South East Asian countries will be able to apply. The giveaway will then be rolled out to those in mainland China on April 1st and lastly extended to travelers from the rest of the world on May 1st.

Eligible travelers will need to register for the lottery on the AAHK website. The cost of the ticket will be covered, but passengers will still be required to pay any taxes and fees that may be applicable to their flight.

Photo:  N509FZ via Wikimedia Commons

In an additional promotion, targeted specifically at travelers from the US and Canada, from May onwards, Cathay Pacific will also be offering a limited number of what the carrier describes as “generously discounted tickets.”

A much-needed tourism boost

Hong Kong has pulled out all the stops with its “Hello, Hong Kong” campaign, which includes a promotional video featuring pop stars Aaron Kwok, Kelly Chen, and Sammi Cheng:

Yet despite the upcoming promotion, experts have said that it may take 18 to 24 months for tourism in Hong Kong to return to its pre-pandemic levels. Strict COVID-related travel restrictions have kept travelers away for the past three years, and Hong Kong only removed its quarantine requirements for arrivals in September 2022. By the end of last year had gone on to lift all of its travel restrictions.

While arrival figures did rebound slightly in 2022 to more than 600,000, this was only a fraction of the more than 55 million visitors to the city in 2019. The figure was even higher in 2018 when Hong Kong saw 65.1 million arrivals. However, violent clashes between the authorities and protesters throughout 2019 hit the city’s tourism industry even before the pandemic struck.

Photo: Cathay Pacific

How to reach Hong Kong directly from the US and Canada

While only Hong Kong-based airlines are taking part in the free flights promotion, for any travelers based in the US and Canada, here is a round-up of the direct services available to Hong Kong (HKG) this spring and summer:

• Cathay Pacific – Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Toronto (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR)
• United Airlines – Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO)
• Air Canada – Vancouver (YVR)

Will you be taking part in this incentive for free flights to Hong Kong? Let us know in the comments below.