If you’ve always wanted to see the bright lights of Hong Kong, 2023 could be the best year thanks to a weird COVID-related scheme.
Back in 2020, the Hong Kong Tourism Board bought 500,000 plane tickets from airlines like Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines as part of a government-supported package to help boost the aviation sector post-COVID (as per Time Out).
Three years later, the city is hoping to encourage flocks of visitors back to Hong Kong by giving away the 500,000 plane tickets for absolutely nothing.
With a flight from, for example, Sydney costing around $700, a free flight would be very handy indeed. The scheme is going to set the Hong Kong government back a cool HK$2 billion, so they clearly have high hopes for its success.
The city’s tourism board is set to announce more details about the free plane tickets shortly, with the scheme scheduled to launch early next year. We’ll keep you posted with developments as they come.
It’s yet another positive sign that Asia is slowly reopening to the rest of the world post-COVID. From mid-October onwards, Australians will once again be able to travel to Japan without a visa or tourist group.
Tourists from Down Under (and other visa-exempt countries) will be able to visit Japan without a visa, a booked package tour, and don’t have to return a COVID-19 test upon arrival (unless they’re suspected of being infected with the virus).
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A valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate with at least three doses or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to departure is still required. There will also no longer be a daily cap on arrivals into Japan, with the country previously only allowing 50,000 entrants per day.
Check out a travel guide to Hong Kong:
