Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (李家超) yesterday unveiled a promotion campaign that would include 500,000 free flights to lure back visitors, businesses and investors to the financial hub after more than three years of tough COVID-19 curbs.
The “Hello Hong Kong” campaign was launched with dancers and flashing neon lights in the territory’s main convention center, next to its famous harbor, with a backdrop bearing the slogan in various languages including Russian and Spanish.
Lee, speaking in English, said the campaign would show that the territory was open for tourism, and was aimed at boosting business and investment in the Chinese special administrative region.
Photo: Bloomberg
“Hong Kong is now connected to mainland China and the whole international world, and there will be no isolation, no quarantine and no restrictions on ... enjoying the hustle and bustle of Asia’s world city,” Lee said.
The launch was attended by officials from the territory’s tourism, trade and aviation departments.
Hong Kong was largely sealed off behind closed borders for much of the past three years in a bid to ward off COVID-19, with mandatory quarantine of up to three weeks for people arriving, as well as intensive testing and screening.
The territory followed China’s “zero COVID-19” policy until the middle of last year, when it began to gradually unwind its rules.
Hong Kong dropped most of its remaining COVID-19 rules in December last year, but the wearing of masks remains mandatory unless exercising, as well as daily rapid antigen testing for students.
There remains a quota system for travelers between China and Hong Kong, and a requirement that they must do a COVID-19 test. Three of Hong Kong’s border checkpoints with China have remained closed.
China announced in December last year that it would scrap most of its COVID-19 curbs, and it reopened its borders to the world last month despite a surge in infections.
Hong Kong business groups, diplomats and many residents deplored Hong Kong COVID-19 rules, saying they threatened its competitiveness and standing as an international financial center, especially after a period of political tension over pro-democracy protests.
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