Hong Kong plans to give away 500,000 airline tickets, worth the equivalent of HK$2 billion ($254.8 million). The decision was confirmed to CNN by a spokesperson from the Hong Kong Airport Authority (AAHK): “Back in 2020, we purchased around 500,000 air tickets in advance from the territory’s home-based airlines as part of a relief package to support the aviation industry.”
The AAHK set aside that amount of money back in 2020 to buy airline tickets from airlines including Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Express, Hong Kong Airlines and the now-bankrupt Cathay Dragon. Further details will be announced once the relevant arrangements have been made with airlines, authorities said.
We hope to give the maximum room to reconnect Hong Kong, and to revitalize our economy.
John Lee, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive
According to Bloomberg, these 500,000 airline tickets will only be offered if the head of government announces a plan to return to normalcy in his political speech this October and only if the health situation does not worsen significantly by then. No details on the conditions for obtaining these plane tickets have been communicated for the moment.
The government estimates that it will take one to two quarters for tourists to return, even after the remaining health restrictions are fully lifted. These include three days of medical surveillance without hotel quarantine. Incoming international travelers must submit a pre-flight vaccination certificate, as well as a negative PCR test and rapid antigen test, before entering.
While the hotel quarantine has been lifted, the restrictions on incoming travelers currently do not allow them to access bars or eat in restaurants for three days after arrival. These travelers must also provide self-tests for seven days and 3 at local centers.
By maintaining these strict health restrictions linked to China’s choice of a zero-covid policy, Hong Kong has kept itself isolated for nearly two and a half years, hitting its economy and causing talent flight. Hong Kong’s decision to lift the compulsory quarantine at the hotel upon arrival on September 26th was timely. Chief Executive John Lee not ruling out a rapid move to full exemption from medical monitoring under a 0+0 scheme. “We hope to give the maximum room to reconnect Hong Kong, and to revitalize our economy,” he said in a press conference on Friday.
With a major financial sector summit approaching in early November and the resumption of the famous Rugby Sevens competition, a full reopening now seems to be on the agenda. One of the key elements at stake is regaining the confidence of visitors and investors, with Hong Kong’s ambition to regain its leading position in the financial sector, which is currently being challenged by Singapore. For tourism, the stakes are also high, traditionally a major source of income and employment in Hong Kong.
