Visitors enjoy the view of Victoria Habour at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong on Jan 2, 2023. (CHINADAILYHK.COM)
People from both the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong hailed the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s ambitious move launched on Thursday, calling it “a huge attraction” to lure visitors from across the globe.
As part of efforts to revitalize Hong Kong’s economy after three years of strict COVID-19 restrictions, the Hello Hong Kong campaign includes 500,000 free airplane tickets, vouchers, and a number of major trade shows and conferences, as well as sports and arts events.
I feel very surprised and excited that the HKSAR government is offering such a great discount to visitors coming to the city. It is really a huge attraction for us.
Cui Jiayuan, an office worker in Shanghai
“I feel very surprised and excited that the HKSAR government is offering such a great discount to visitors coming to the city,” said Cui Jiayuan, an office worker in Shanghai who hails from Kunming, provincial capital of southwest Yunnan province. “It is really a huge attraction for us.”
Cui went on a six-day business trip to Hong Kong in early January. “I hope to see more details on the release of free air tickets as soon as possible. Last month’s business trip was very rushed and I hope to be able to visit Hong Kong again on my vacation,” she said, adding that she hopes to be one of the lucky 500,000 people.
The HKSAR government announced on Friday that the border between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland will fully reopen on Monday, with requirements for COVID-19 negative testing results scrapped and no quotas imposed on visitors from either side.
READ MORE: HK to give away 500,000 free airline tickets worldwide
“It is great to hear that polymerase chain reaction tests are no longer needed to cross the border,” said a woman surnamed Song, who spent Lunar New Year in Hong Kong with her daughter.
The pandemic meant that Song, who runs a clothing store in Beijing, and her daughter, who works at a law firm in Hong Kong, had to stay apart for a long time.
“The series of gifts and goodies offered by the Hello Hong Kong campaign, coupled with the upcoming full border reopening, will certainly attract large crowds to Hong Kong,” Song said.
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She said she hopes that the vouchers distributed to tourists will not set too high a spending threshold. “Compared to the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong’s spending level is a bit higher, and if these vouchers are only available for large purchases, it might discourage some potential mainland consumers,” she said.
While welcoming the government’s generous offer to woo mainland and overseas visitors, Crystal Lau Man-tsin, a postgraduate student from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said she hopes that more incentives can be launched to benefit Hong Kong residents.
Contact the writer at suzihan@chinadailyhk.com
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