Hong Kong is tempting tourists back to its shores as the pandemic fades by giving free airline tickets. On February 2, the Hong Kong government and Chief Executive John Lee launched the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign, which includes a giveaway of 500,000 free airline tickets to travelers from all around the globe. The $2 billion campaign promotes the return of Hong Kong to the world stage as it bounces back from its lull during the pandemic, hoping to boost Hong Kong’s tourism and business industries while attracting foreign investors.

The 500,000 airline tickets will be distributed by Hong Kong Express, Cathay Pacific, and Hong Kong Airlines by March 1. Over the course of six months, each airline will be using their overseas platforms to gradually distribute the free tickets, starting with Southeast Asian countries, followed by mainland China and Northeastern Asia. Later this summer, an additional 80,000 free airline tickets will be distributed to Hong Kong residents with another 80,000 for those living in the Greater Bay Area.

Travelers keen to travel to Hong Kong can visit the World of Winners splash page starting March 1 to enter their names into the flight ticket lottery.

The tickets will be allocated in three waves: from March 1 to people across Southeast Asia, from April 1 to people living in mainland China and from May 1 to residents in the rest of the world.

Locals can get in on the action, too. From July 1, some airline tickets will be given out to Hong Kongers eager for a chance to make up for lost travel time.

Just over 183,600 people visited Hong Kong between January and August 2022, according to the latest figures published by the tourism board. While that’s a significant uptick on last year, it’s well below pre-pandemic figures of 56 million in 2019, per the BBC.

A spokesperson for Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said the tickets will be given away to global visitors and residents.

Other highlights of the Hello Hong Kong campaign include more than 250 large-scale events taking place over the year, spanning trade events, conventions, festivals, and more.