Hong Kong to give away 500,000 free airline tickets to boost tourism

In order to boost its tourism industry affected by COVID lockdowns in the past two years, Hong Kong said it will give away 500,000 airline tickets to people worldwide.

Following China's strict "Zero-COVID" policies, Hong Kong has one of the toughest quarantines in the world. However, it has announced that the policies have been eased with people not required to show COVID results before boarding flights to the city.

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) spokesperson told CNN that the city will give out tickets worth $254.8 million to global visitors.

He said that the authority had purchased the tickets back in 2020 "as part of a relief package to support the aviation industry".

"The purchase serves the purpose of injecting liquidity into the airlines upfront, while the tickets will be given away to global visitors and Hong Kong residents in the market recovery campaign," the outlet quoted him as saying.

He added that the details would be soon be shared as soon as the tourism board completes relevant arrangements with airlines.

Executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board Dang Cheng told BBC that the free ticked will be disturbed next year.

However, visitors would still be required to submit their COVID vaccination proof. According to the report by CNN, travellers would stay in a three-day self-monitoring phase after entering the city where they will not be allowed in crowded spaces like restaurants and bars.