Hong Kong is ready to welcome the world back, its leader said Thursday, promising more than half a million free flights and positive publicity to resurrect the once-vibrant global hub after three years of Covid-enforced isolation. During a speech to heavyweights in business and tourism, Chief Executive John Lee promised ‘no isolation, no quarantine, and no restrictions.’

The government’s rebranding campaign, “Hello, Hong Kong,” claims to be an effort to tell “good stories” about the southern Chinese city, whose business-friendly reputation has been tarnished by years of political repression and pandemic restrictions.

During a speech to business and tourism leaders, Chief Executive John Lee announced 500,000 free air tickets for visitors to experience the city’s “hustle and bustle,” promising “no isolation, no quarantine, and no restrictions.”
The giveaway, which will begin in March, will primarily be distributed by Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express, and Cathay Pacific, local airlines.

In the summer, residents will be able to purchase an additional 80,000 tickets, though the airlines have not yet revealed their destinations.

Lee declared, “This, ladies and gentlemen, is probably the biggest welcome ever given in the world.”

Hong Kong remained largely virus-free until a deadly Omicron outbreak at the beginning of 2022 thanks to Beijing’s zero-Covid doctrine of quarantine, closed borders, and face masks.

However, it also played a role in an economic downturn and the exodus of more than 2.5% of the population.

Hong Kong officials insisted on gradually easing restrictions, despite business leaders’ warnings that a comprehensive Covid exit plan would be required prior to any meaningful reboot.

One of Asia’s most connected cities was closed off by the controls.

In 2022, Hong Kong only received 600,000 visitors, or less than 1% of the total in 2018.

“Proof will be in the pudding”: Over the course of the past three years, more than 130 international businesses have closed their Hong Kong offices, and a recent survey of 253 Japanese businesses revealed that their top concern was securing high-quality employees.

More than a quarter of the companies surveyed were concerned about brain drain as a result of the national security law that Beijing enacted in 2020 to quell massive, frequently violent protests.

Over 140,000 people left the labor force in Hong Kong last year, when the economy contracted by 3.5%, according to official figures.

Greg May, the top US diplomat in Hong Kong, stated last week that the city’s ability to uphold human rights will determine its reputation as a financial center.

He stated, “Our view remains that Beijing’s actions could further force many of the best and brightest in the city to flee.”

Lee, a former security chief who is currently under US sanctions for his part in putting an end to the protests in 2019, has promised to fix the bad press that he and other government officials have said is to blame for the city’s problems.

“I will personally carry the promotional messages of our prowess as China’s international financial center and the freest economy in the world.”

Peter Burnett, the former chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, stated to AFP at the campaign launch that “the proof will be in the pudding” for the reboot.

“At least they are taking action on it. I find that to be extremely encouraging.