Hong Kong, which saw its annual visitor totals drop from 56 million in 2019 to just over 100,000 in 2021, wants the big numbers back, and it's passing out half a million free airline tickets to push them along.
The city had been under unusually strict rules since January 2020, including mandatory quarantines of up to 21 days for visitors, and very limited entry permits. Restrictions were only really loosened as of last September, and some have suggested that waiting that long while others opened up may have done permanent damage to tourism.
With the headline "Hello, Hong Kong," registration for the ticket lottery will open March 1st on the "World of Winners" web page. The tickets will be distributed starting March 1 to residents of Southeast Asia, then April 1 to residents of mainland China and finally starting in May to residents of the rest of the world.
Tickets will be for one Hong Kong's three airlines, Cathay Pacific, HK Express and Hongkong Airlines. The tickets will cost the city a bit over $250 million. In addition to the tickets to encourage visitors, the city will also give out some tickets to locals to make up for some lost travel time. Those will be given out starting July 1.
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