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

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

A ferry sails through Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. Many tourists have been drawn to the city's unique blend of Chinese culture and British influence. (Photo by Takeshi Kihara)

TAKESHI KIHARA and TARO SAEKI, Nikkei staff writers

February 16, 2023 12:36 JST

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.