Leader of Hong Kong said Thursday that the city is ready to welcome the world back, promising more than 500,000 free flights and favorable press to resuscitate the once-vibrant global metropolis after three years of Covid-enforced isolation.
“Hello, Hong Kong,” the government’s rebranding drive, touts itself as an endeavor to share “positive stories” about the southern Chinese city, where years of political repression and financial constraints have soiled its business-friendly reputation.
During an address to business and tourism heavyweights, Chief Executive John Lee promised “no isolation, no quarantine, and no limits,” and provided 500,000 free flight tickets for tourists to enjoy the city’s “hustle and bustle.”
The giveaway will begin in March and will be mostly given by Cathay Pacific, HK Express, and Hong Kong Airlines.
Another 80,000 tickets will be available to locals in the summer, with destinations still to be announced by the carriers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is most likely the world’s largest welcome ever,” Lee added.
Beijing’s zero-Covid policy of quarantine, restricted borders, and face masks kept Hong Kong virus-free until a devastating Omicron outbreak in early 2022.
However, it also contributed to an economic downturn and the emigration of more than 2.5 percent of the population.
Despite warnings from business leaders that Hong Kong would require a thorough Covid departure strategy before any substantial restart, policymakers pushed on incrementally easing restrictions.
The controls cut off access to what was once one of Asia’s most connected cities.
In 2022, Hong Kong welcomed 600,000 visitors, representing less than 1% of the total in 2018.
Over the last three years, more than 130 international companies have closed their Hong Kong offices, while a recent survey of 253 Japanese firms revealed that retaining quality employees was their top priority.
More than a quarter of the companies polled were concerned about brain drain as a result of the national security law Beijing enacted in 2020 to quell massive and often violent protests.
More than 140,000 people left Hong Kong’s labor force last year, when the economy contracted by 3.5 percent, according to official figures.
Greg May, the top US diplomat in Hong Kong, stated last week that the city’s reputation as a financial center will be determined by its ability to uphold human rights.
“Our view remains that Beijing’s actions may force even more of the city’s best and brightest to flee,” he said.
Lee, a former security chief who is currently under US sanctions for his role in putting down 2019’s protests, promised to improve the city’s image, which he and other government officials have blamed for its ills.
“I will personally deliver messages promoting our prowess as the world’s freest economy and China’s international financial center.”
Peter Burnett, the former chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, told AFP at the campaign launch that “the proof will be in the pudding” for the reboot.
“At the very least, they’re taking action. And that is very encouraging to me.”
