Want to visit a land rich in history and dazzling skyscrapers? You might just have a chance to for free.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on the tourism industry across the globe. In Hong Kong’s case, they wish to “reverse four years of plummeting tourism numbers and to revive the economy,” stated the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign.

They want tourists to reignite the city so much that they’re willing to pay for 500,000 flights for avid travelers who wish to visit the city. It’s one of the biggest travel campaigns we’ve ever come across, so we’re going to give you as much insight as we can on how to bag yourself a seat on the plane.

Why are there free flights to Hong Kong?

As we said before, the last few years have caused some major difficulties in the tourism industry. In addition, Hong Kong had various pro-democracy protests back in 2019, which saw clashes with the police and parts of the city damaged as a result.

Shortly after came the COVID-19 pandemic, which was believed to originate from Wuhan. Many borders were sealed off to prevent the spread and even today, with many of these restrictions lifted, some remain in China. 

As you can probably imagine, people seldom made the time to visit during these hardships with the protests and virus running rampant. In fact, before the pandemic, Hong Kong saw 56 million visitors in a typical year. By 2022, that number had fallen to about 100,000.

That’s why Hong Kong is on a serious mission to revive its tourism industry.

How do I get free flights to Hong Kong?

You’ll need to visit the World of Winners page from March 1 to enter names into the flight ticket prize draw. 

According to CNN, there will be three rounds of giveaways:

• March 1: Tickets will be available to residents of Southeast Asia
• April 1: Tickets open up to residents of mainland China
• May 1: The rest of the world can apply for the free tickets
• July 1: Hong Kong locals can try for some of the city’s tickets for residents to “make up for lost travel time”

If you do win, as of the time of writing, Hong Kong continues a mandatory indoor and outdoor mask requirement, and violators who get caught could be fined up to $1,275, according to The Times.

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