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| Vivian Cheung, fourth from right, the chief operating officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, poses with participants at a press conference in Seoul, Thursday, to announce Hong Kong's air ticket giveaway campaign. Courtesy of Hong Kong International Airport |
By Lee Hae-rin
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will give away over 24,000 sponsored economy-class round-trip tickets to travelers in Korea starting May 16, as part of a government campaign to boost tourism after the pandemic, the airport authority announced, Thursday.
"Hong Kong has fully opened up to travel, and we at Hong Kong airport are excited to welcome visitors from around the world once again," said Vivian Cheung, chief operating officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday.
The promotion is part of the Hong Kong government's Hello Hong Kong campaign and the AAHK's World of Winners global air ticket campaign, in which a total of 500,000 free tickets are being distributed around the world. The city aims to attract over 1.5 million inbound travelers after three years of travel restrictions that were imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each country's share in the ticket giveaway scheme is proportional to the number of pre-pandemic travelers that they had back in 2019. Korea's share is 5 percent, which is relatively higher than that of other countries such as 1 to 2 percent, according to Cheung.
In 2019, Hong Kong saw around 1.2 million travelers from Korea, which is the third largest amount after China and Taiwan.
Starting on May 16, the AAHK will open an event site where travelers can apply to win tickets from Hong Kong's four local airlines: Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Express, Hong Kong Airlines and Greater Bay Airlines.
Residents of Korea, regardless of their nationality, can depart from Incheon, Busan and Jeju Island to Hong Kong after winning a ticket.
The AAHK will hold a promotional event on the first floor of the Shinsegae Central City shopping complex in Seoul on May 13 and 14, where 500 free tickets will be given away at the pop-up experience zone.
"HKIA is often the first stop for visitors to Hong Kong, and we are ready to provide the perfect start to a pleasant journey with an extensively refurbished airport terminal as well as numerous new services and facilities. The World of Winners campaign represents a great opportunity for travelers from Korea to rediscover everything Hong Kong has to offer," Cheung said.
HKIA is one of the busiest airports in the world, with over 120 airlines connecting passengers with more than 220 international destinations.
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