Hong Kong News Hub: HK Express to give away over 19,000 return flight tickets from Wednesday

Hong Kong budget airline HK Express will give away over 19,000 round-trip flight tickets from 10 am on Wednesday.

Hong Kong Express — HK Express planes at the Hong Kong International Airport. File photo: GovHK.

Sponsored by Hong Kong International Airport, the flights will be distributed on a first come, first served basis through the airline’s website. A total of 19,597 return air tickets will be available “for tourists worldwide and residents who ordinarily residing in Hong Kong SAR” flying from the city to 13 destinations in Asia.

Passengers will only be able to book tickets for one person, and must pay taxes, surcharges and other fees.

According to the HK Express website, the purpose of the giveaway is: “To welcome visitors from around the world to Hong Kong, this will distribute free tickets to tourists, giving them a chance to explore Hong Kong’s vibrant cityscapes.”

Additionally, the airline said it hoped to encourage Hong Kong residents “to experience the joy of travel via flying to worldwide destinations.”

The campaign follows similar giveaways last year aimed at revitalising the city’s tourism industry following three years of Covid-related travel curbs.

While visitor arrivals to Hong Kong rose after border restrictions were lifted, they have lagged behind pre-pandemic levels.

Consumption, too, has failed to recover despite a rise in visitors, with the government launching several campaigns to both attract tourists and convince Hongkongers to stay and spend their money in the city.

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Despite such efforts, many of the city’s residents have continued to travel abroad. Over the Christmas holiday weekend last month, Hongkongers made 1.32 million outgoing trips, almost triple the amount of visitor arrivals.