hong kong tourist incentive

Hong Kong is giving away 500,000 roundtrip flights. Here's how to win one.

Hong Kong is eager to get back its tourists and is now offering half a million people free air tickets to the international financial hub so it can catch up with other popular travel destinations in the region.

During the pandemic, the city largely aligned itself with mainland China's "zero-COVID" strategy and has relaxed its entry rules months slower than rivals such as Singapore , Japan and Taiwan . Even after it reopened its border with mainland China in January, tourism recovery was sluggish.

On Feb. 2, Chief Executive John Lee launched a tourism campaign "Hello Hong Kong,"  saying the city will offer 500,000 free air tickets to welcome tourists from around the world in what he called “probably the world's biggest welcome ever."

The campaign is said to be "unprecedented," according to  a press release by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and the city will host over 250 events and festivals over this year to entice travelers and showcase its "dynamic and diverse appeal of the city." Travelers will also get consumption vouchers to help them experience the Asian city. 

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Here's the rundown on the "Hello Hong Kong" campaign:

Why is Hong Kong giving away free air tickets?

The city is making the big statement to lure back its tourists after its strict COVID-19 restrictions kept most visitors away, and its tourism industry – an important part of its economy – took a big hit. 

In the past few months, the city finally  dropped its mandatory hotel quarantine rule and PCR tests for incoming travelers, resulting in a slight increase in arrival figures. Still, its 2022 visitor numbers were just 1% of the 2019 level. 

"We hope those who secure the air tickets can bring two or three more relatives and friends to the city. Although we are just giving away 500,000 air tickets, we believe this can help bring Hong Kong over 1.5 million visitors," Fred Lam, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong, said.

How does the Hello Hong Kong free ticket campaign work?

For a chance to win in the campaign, people can either  register on the Hong Kong airport website  and check back for when they are eligible to participate or go directly to the airlines' websites when eligible. The airlines – Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines – will distribute the tickets in phases based on the location of residence. 

Under the campaign, most of the plane tickets – worth 2 billion Hong Kong dollars ($255 million) – will be determined through various promotional activities, including lucky draws, "buy one, get one free" promotions and games, according to Lam.

According to the website , all tickets will be round-trip economy class and "related surcharges, fees and taxes" will still be paid by the winner. 

Who is eligible to get free tickets to Hong Kong?

It seems like Asian residents are the first targeted demographic of the campaign, according to the Hong Kong airport website.

It won't be until May that those living outside of Asia can apply.

When does the campaign start?

The campaign will begin on March 1 for those in Southeast Asia. Each month for six months, a new market will become eligible. The exact launch dates will be announced. 

What are the extra vouchers for visitors?

Visitors are also offered other incentives to help them enjoy the city, called  "Hong Kong Goodies" :

A complimentary welcome drink worth over HK$100 (a little less than $13) from one of 100 participating bars, restaurants and hotels.

• A just under $13 cash voucher that can be redeemed in the transportation, culinary and retail sectors and attractions. Over 140 businesses are participating and there's no minimum spending requirement.
• An exclusive gift worth over just under $13 at "one of many attractions and museums in Hong Kong as a special memorabilia of your visit."

To be eligible for the Hong Kong Goodies voucher, the traveler must be in the city for 90 days or less and have a non-Hong Kong phone number. They can pick up the voucher at one of the four Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Centres.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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Hong Kong will pay for your plane ticket to visit in 2023: here’s how to apply

HK is giving away 500,000 plane tickets as it looks to revive its tourist industry

Last year, the Hong Kong tourist board announced plans to give away half a million free plane tickets to encourage tourism in 2023  – and now it’s finally, officially happening. 

Details of the giveaway were unveiled on February 2 by Hong Kong’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu, as part of the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign.  

How to get free air tickets to Hong Kong

Hong Kong Airport’s website  allows travellers to select their departure location and enter a draw to win a round-trip ticket. The giveaway periods are staggered, depending on what part of the world you live in.

Travellers from Europe

The ticket giveaway has now ended for travellers from the UK  and Europe . Entrants were asked to register for tickets on  Cathay Pacific’s website  and complete a quiz. Tickets will be allocated to those who answered the questions correctly on a first come, first served basis. Winners from the UK will be contacted with details  on how to redeem their prize on June 5 .

Travellers from North America

Starting May 17 , travellers from the  USA and Canada  can apply for tickets from Cathay Pacific. The  US giveaway  opens at 5pm PST/8pm EST, while the Canada giveaway opens at 6pm PST/9pm EST. The entry period will close on May 24 .

Travellers from Australia and New Zealand

The giveaway will open to travellers from Australia and New Zealand on  May 29 . 

Travellers from Asia

The giveaway is now closed for Southeast Asian travellers, but travellers from Seoul can apply from now until the end of June. Those from Japan and Taiwan wanting to win a free trip can apply from June and July. A portion of tickets has been awarded to travellers from mainland China , with more to come, according to Hong Kong Airport’s website. Travellers from Hong Kong wanting to win a return trip can apply in July.

Travellers from other destinations

The giveaway has ended now for travellers from Tel Aviv , but travellers from the UAE, Nepal, India and Bangladesh can apply from May 22 . The giveaway also opens to South African travellers from June 6 .

What airlines are taking part in the promotion?

Tickets will be available from the following airlines.

Cathay Pacific

You must be signed up to Cathay Pacific ’s website to enter the draw.

Hong Kong’s budget airline HK Express will also be giving away free air tickets.

Hong Kong Airlines

Hong Kong Airlines are giving away free round-trip flights from Seoul to HK.

Greater Bay Airlines

Visitors from Asia can enter to win flights to Hong Kong from Greater Bay Airlines .

What other discounts are available?

As if free flights weren’t enough, visitors will also be offered discounts on things like restaurants, shops, museums and more. It’s all in aid of bolstering tourism in the region under the  ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign. You can find out more about the discounts on offer here .

Why are they launching the free air ticket campaign?

The Hong Kong Tourism Board already bought tickets from carriers back in 2020 as part of the government support package for the aviation sector.

A one-way flight to Hong Kong would normally cost upwards of £500 from London or $1,000 from the west coast of the USA, and in total, it’s estimated the giveaway scheme will cost the Hong Kong government HK$2 billion to run. But that’s clearly worth it for a destination that has seen its tourist industry more or less completely collapse over the past few years – first due to the civil unrest of 2019, then the pandemic and one of the world’s strictest travel lockdowns.

Sounds pretty good, right? We certainly think a free trip to check out Hong Kong’s incredible restaurants , best-in-class bars , distinctive local neighbourhoods  and mountainous hiking trails  would be too good to pass up. Watch this space for updates.

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Local tour incentive scheme launched

The Government announced today that the Characteristic Local Tourism Incentive Scheme will accept applications from eligible travel agents from January 1, 2024, enabling them to receive cash incentives for promoting in-depth travel and thematic tours.

The scheme is divided into two parts: in-depth travel and thematic travel.

The application period of in-depth travel will be from January 1, 2024 until July 31, 2024. Each eligible travel agent may apply for $200 cash incentives for each participant of in-depth travel it serves.

The quota for applying for the cash incentives is 100 participants each from local and inbound tours.

The itinerary must cover at least two designated sites of in-depth travel and one interactive tourist experience activity with Hong Kong's unique and authentic experience recognised under the scheme.

As regards thematic travel, each eligible travel agent may apply for $400 cash incentives for each participant of thematic travel it serves, and the quota for applying for the cash incentives is 100 participants each from local and inbound tours.

Travel agents must focus on six distinctive themes, including national history, green ecology, marine, traditional culture, pop culture, and creative travel in designing the itinerary and provide visitors with a captivating and in-depth Hong Kong travel experience.

Application details will be announced in mid-January, along with the promulgation of the six winning thematic itineraries under the Deeper into Hong Kong: Creative Itinerary Design Competition.

To assist travel agents in organising more thematic tours, the Travel Industry Council - as the implementation agent of the scheme - will liaise with different organisations to organise in-depth local tour docent training courses for licensed tourist guides and tour escorts, so as to further enhance the service quality of the tourism industry practitioners.

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Hong Kong looks to jumpstart tourism with free plane tickets, vouchers

Public-private campaign launched as city loses crown as world's travel capital

HONG KONG/TOKYO -- Once the most popular destination in the world, Hong Kong seeks to revive a tourism industry hobbled by COVID-19 with a public-private campaign that includes free plane tickets and shopping vouchers.

Around 90 employees from Japanese travel agency JTB descended upon the Hong Kong Palace Museum on Wednesday, as part of a whirlwind tour organized with full backing from the local tourism board. Other stops included Hong Kong Disneyland and the Peninsula Hong Kong, one of the city's most prestigious hotels.

Tourism-starved Hong Kong giving away half a million plane tickets

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How Hong Kong is Elevating its Appeal through Incentive Travel in 2023

To increase the demand for incentive travel in the region and showcase Hong Kong’s latest new offerings, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has hosted multiple artfully curated familiarisation trips to increase awareness and showcase what the region has to offer over the past two months.

More than 160 agents and corporates from the Mainland, South Korea and India headed to Hong Kong to experience it first-hand. They returned home with great memories, excited by their new discoveries and after learning of the immediate plans to bring significant events to Hong Kong.

Mr Kenneth Wong, General Manager, MICE & Cruise of the HKTB, said, “Hong Kong has been accelerating the development of infrastructure and tourism resources. ‘Seeing is believing’ – that’s the best way for anyone to experience what the city has to offer, as new attractions have been unveiled, and innovative MICE products and generous funding support have also been introduced.

We are thrilled that our guests were impressed, and Hong Kong remains a top choice for incentive travel.”

Always something new to deliver wow factors Upgraded and new attractions are enriching the Hong Kong experience. The vibrant West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) boasts two first-rate museums – the Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+ — giving events cultural vibes.

Theme attractions, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Ocean Park Hong Kong and the Peak Tram, are creating innovative products to deliver engaging experiences. Here’s what agents joining the familiarisation trips had to say:

Ms Nam Hyo Rim, Section Manager of The MICE from South Korea, commented, “Hong Kong is a multicultural city with a perfect blend of East and West. The new museums in the city’s flagship arts and cultural quarter, WKCD, have world-class art exhibitions and diverse, flexible event venues for MICE groups to draw inspiration and stimulate creativity.”

Ms Kong Yan, General Manager of NEW VIEW (Shenzhen) M.I.C.E SERVICE CO., LTD from the Mainland, said, “My perception of Hong Kong has been renewed by the wide range of new experiences, from exclusive group arrangements at theme parks, including the spectacular multimedia show – Visions of Hong Kong and Soul of the Ocean at Ocean Park Hong Kong and the Momentous show at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, to VIP horse-racing parties. It’s truly unforgettable.”

A kaleidoscope of new experiences for groups Beyond Hong Kong’s signature attractions, creative incentive ideas also cater to planners’ and corporates’ desire for immersive experiences. A wide range of themed experiences are curated to give MICE visitors a unique and memorable journey in Hong Kong. Check out how our agent friends felt after trying out the inspiring group activities:

Recharge with electrifying parties Ms Dipti Narvekar, Senior Manager – MICE of Thomas Cook India, said, “Hong Kong is full of party ideas, day and night, perfect for team bonding! From bar-hopping to a poolside party at the new Water World Ocean Park or adrenaline-racing VR Sandbox, or premium horse-racing parties, Hong Kong has a lot of action to keep my clients who are party-goers coming back for more!”

All-in-one MICE ideas on Lantau Island Ms Liu Jun, Procurement Director of Hunan Ruizhi International Conference Exhibition Co. Ltd. from the Mainland, said, “ Lantau is a neighbourhood that is full of surprises and exceptional experiences – Discovery Bay is exotic and off the beaten track. Yachting is a great way to chillax, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is as always full of creative entertainment for planning memorable team experiences.”

Utilising the outdoors for stronger team bonding Ms Zhang Xin, Deputy General Manager of CYTS M.I.C.E. (Shanghai) Service Co., Ltd. from the Mainland, said, “Timeless charm is Hong Kong’s strongest appeal as a MICE destination, while it is also rich in tourism resources.

The city has an iconic skyline and dynamic dining and nightlife and boasts 75% of the green area. The pristine undulating landscape of rocks, beaches, cliffs, hills and lakes in this compact city will definitely bring countless surprises to incentive groups.”

Largest incentive group from the Mainland Over the past six months, Hong Kong has welcomed close to 300 meeting and incentive groups of all sizes, drawn by the city’s latest attractions and diversified experiences. Awed by Hong Kong’s new enhancements and diverse offerings, the leading liquor brand Luzhou Laojiao has decided to bring 1,250 of its best-performing distributors to Hong Kong in five batches in August.

A representative of the company said, “We’re glad to host the first cross-boundary trip after the pandemic! The groups are excited to experience Hong Kong’s latest cultural art quarter and an all-time classic – a cruise party on Victoria Harbour. Through state-of-the-art cross-boundary infrastructure, we can make our multi-destination itinerary of Hong Kong and Macao an enriched and seamless journey.”

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Hong Kong unveils more support for travel and tourism industry

More initiatives to support Hong Kong’s travel and tourism industry have been detailed, following the government’s 2023/24 budget announcement last week.

The Travel Agents Incentive Scheme, which is due to expire end of March 2023, will be extended by three months. New schemes for fully guaranteed loans will be offered to eligible passenger transport operators and licensed travel agents, with about HK$2.7 billion (US$344 million) set aside for this purpose. Furthermore, some HK$30 million will be injected into the Information Technology Development Matching Fund Scheme for Travel Agents.

Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will also get an additional HK$200 million to fund its fight for more international business events and high value‑added visitors, allowing it to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as the premier business events destination in the region.

In response to these measures, Travel Industry Council (TIC) chairman Gianna Hsu told TTG Asia that the industry is disappointed that the proposed Travel Industry Resumption Fund had fallen through.

The fund, first put forward to secretary for culture, sports and tourism Kevin Yeung by Legislative Council member Perry Yiu Pak-leung in a meeting last November, was meant to support the beleaguered travel and tourism industry in relaunching their business.

Yiu recognised that the industry needed to recruit manpower and carry out repair and maintenance for equipment and facilities that have been left idle for a long period of time, putting them under tremendous cash flow pressure as they prepare for tourism recovery.

In a press statement, TIC reiterated the financial and manpower challenges faced by its stakeholders in the present early stage of tourism recovery.

Hsu also told TTG Asia : “We wish for more supportive measures to be deployed in future. Hopefully, the government will keep monitoring our business situation and lend its support in a timely manner.”

The return of arrivals from China, a major source market, is still slow, according to Hsu. While Chinese tour groups are now allowed to travel to Hong Kong, the destination receives no more than 20 tour groups from China daily.

“It is hoped that the numbers will triple in March,” she said.

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Revitalise Tourism

85. Tourism is one of the major driving forces of Hong Kong's economy. The Central Government also fully supports the enhanced collaboration between the Mainland and Hong Kong on tourism. The recently launched "Night Vibes Hong Kong" has boosted the city's vibrancy and vitality, bringing novel experience to our residents and visitors, and showcasing the unique charm of Hong Kong as a metropolis. We will continue our efforts to co-ordinate with the concerned sectors in creating new attractions with characteristics at suitable locations. CSTB will also enhance its efforts in promoting the development of tourism and related industries, such as retail, catering and hotels, including:

formulate the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0 – We will consult the trade in order to make enhancements in various aspects to complement tourism development. The Blueprint 2.0 will be published next year;

develop signature tourism products – The Cultural and Heritage Sites Local Tour Incentive Scheme will be transformed into the Characteristic Local Tourism Incentive Scheme to provide more in-depth itinerary design, training, etc., with a view to encouraging the trade to develop more thematic tours, including national history tours, green ecology tours, marine tours, traditional culture tours, pop culture tours, intangible cultural heritage experiences, night time adventure, etc., to showcase the diversified cultural landscape of Hong Kong;

Indonesia, Philippines recognized as top 2024 travel destinations

• “Must-visit” Philippines : The 2024 WTA saw the Philippines bagging eight major awards , including Asia’s leading dive destination, Asia’s leading beach destination, Asia’s leading island destination and Asia’s leading tourist attraction 2024 for the historic walled city of Intramuros. WTA founder Graham Cooke lauded the country for successfully hosting the event, proclaiming it a “must-visit” destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.
• Other major awards : Indonesia secured the title of Asia’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination, highlighting the country’s growing reputation as a premier destination for adventure seekers, surpassing previous winners Japan, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Hong Kong International Airport was crowned Asia’s Leading Airport for the second year in a row, while Singapore Airlines continued its reign as Asia’s Leading Airline for the sixth consecutive year. The airline also secured accolades as Asia’s leading airline – first class and Asia’s leading airline to the Indian Ocean.

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Securing an event may require much effort, but it is the ability to deliver results for the event’s organiser and participants that makes Hong Kong a super host.

The MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) segment of Hong Kong tourism has been growing steadily in recent years, providing a vital source of high-yield visitors. Kenneth Wong, General Manager, MICE & Cruise at the HKTB, explains how his team goes all out to support MICE event organisers amidst fierce regional competition and recent challenges.

“Because of social and public health issues, some event organisers had expressed the wish to reschedule, cancel or even change the format or location of their events. However, our team is not one that gives up easily on opportunities to host a MICE event,” Wong asserted.

To address concerns and showcase the city’s fundamentals remain solid, Wong’s team devised a two-part strategy: assure confirmed events’ organisers by ensuring their smooth staging, and continue to woo potential organisers by highlighting Hong Kong’s edge, as well as the team’s creative and adaptive mind-set for problem-solving.

During bidding and pre-event planning, the MICE teams at HKTB’s Head Office and Worldwide Offices (WWOs) worked in unison to prepare proposals to reassure the clients: the teams mapped out contingency plans and alternatives, such as rerouting advice for event attendees, backup venues and fast-track immigration clearance, while the WWOs communicated the contingency plans and real-time developments in Hong Kong to the clients.

“Our clients trust us because we work diligently and sincerely to make their events a success. During the difficult times in 2019/20, we formed a special taskforce to provide extra support with round-the-clock assistance to reassure event organisers that we would always have their back. When we planned the MIPIM Asia Summit, our Chairman Dr YK Pang initiated a meeting with MIPIM’s Managing Director in person to discuss all assistance the HKTB could possibly offer, followed by a letter from the HKTB as an official commitment. Our goodwill led to an amicable relationship with MIPIM and laid the foundation for future collaboration.”

Securing an event may require much effort, but it is the ability to deliver results for the event’s organiser and participants that makes Hong Kong a super host. The Millionaire Club Indonesia (MCI) Incentive Trip, attended by 3,000 guests, was a good example.

“The challenge of managing incentive groups is that they explore the city in large batches on a fixed itinerary, giving us less flexibility. Nonetheless, our team is proud to rise above all challenges and always

maintain a high level of professionalism to stay agile and demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency,” Wong said.

“When we found out that social incidents would take place near the MCI incentive group’s hotel on the day of their arrival, we immediately contacted our ground operators,” Wong recalled. “After close collaboration between our team, ground operator and the hotel partner involved, we successfully moved the entire group to a property to another district managed by the same hotel group. The guests were satisfied with the arrangement which caused minimal impact and even gave them greater convenience.”

Despite the challenges in the external environment, Hong Kong hosted a number of successful events during the year in review; feedbacks showed that the city remained an enjoyable and enriching destination for MICE participants.

“Real testimonials are more convincing than any marketing effort, so we have invited some MICE organisers and participants to talk about their trips and experiences in Hong Kong. We shall let their honest opinions tell you why Hong Kong is rightfully the ‘World’s Meeting Place’,” Wong said.

In 2019, Hong Kong won 24 bids for major events and hosted numerous events of high strategic value. The fact that many events chose to return to Hong Kong is proof of the city’s appeal.

• Overnight MICE arrivals to Hong Kong in 2019: 1.69 million
• Per capita spending of overnight MICE visitors was about HK$7,200, 23% higher than that of other visitors
• Won 24 major bids, expected to attract 96,000 high-yield MICE visitors. The events include:
• Millionaire Club Indonesia Incentive Trip
• Herbalife Nutrition (China) Extraordinary
• China-Joymain Annual Meeting
• The 23 rd Hong Kong Jeunesse University 2019
• International Annual Congress of the Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia 2021
• World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery 2025
• Well-balanced mix of MICE visitors, with 54% from the Mainland, 26% from short-haul markets and 20% from long-haul markets