In February 2023, the Hong Kong government launched a large-scale global promotional campaign called “Hello Hong Kong,” aimed at attracting tourists back to the city after the impact of the pandemic on society and its tourism industry.

As part of this initiative, the government is giving away 500,000 free airline tickets to Hong Kong. Real Research, an online survey app, conducted a survey to gauge public opinion on the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign and the free airline ticket giveaway.

The survey on public opinion on Hong Kong’s free airline tickets aimed to gather insights into how effective the initiative would be in reviving Hong Kong’s tourism industry and what factors would influence a person’s decision to participate.

Here are the key insights gathered from the responses

  • 75.23% have heard about Hong Kong’s free airline ticket giveaway.
  • 62.91% believe distributing 500,000 free airline tickets would be the most effective “Hello Hong Kong” campaign approach.
  • 51.2% believe that Hong Kong giving away free airline tickets will be extremely helpful in reviving the city’s tourism industry.

Level of Awareness

The survey found that the majority (64.08%) of respondents are well aware of the Hello Hong Kong tourism campaign, while 25.78% have only heard about it to some extent. However, 10.14% are unaware of the initiative.

Figure 1 Respondents’ awareness of Hong Kong's free airline ticket
Figure 1: Respondents’ awareness of Hong Kong’s free airline ticket

Similarly, 75.23% of respondents have heard about Hong Kong’s free airline ticket giveaway, while 24.77% have not. This shows that the campaign has reached a significant number of people.

Promoting Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry

Regarding the effectiveness of the four major “Hello Hong Kong” campaign approaches, 62.91% believe that distributing 500,000 free airline tickets and welcoming people from around the world would be the most effective approach.

Meanwhile, 24.91% think sponsoring visits for prominent guests such as business leaders, political dignitaries, media representatives, and influential figures will be more effective. 5.16% think launching more meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) and major events on finance, economy, innovation and technology, sports, arts, and culture is the most effective approach.

Only 2.87% believed that going out to tell good Hong Kong stories by introducing the city’s strengths would be the most effective approach.

Effectiveness of Free Airline Ticket Giveaway

The survey found that more than half (51.2%) of respondents believe that Hong Kong’s free airline ticket giveaway will be extremely helpful in reviving the city’s tourism industry. 34.78% think it will be moderately helpful, while only 10.4% believe it will be slightly helpful. A small percentage (3.62%) of respondents do not think it will be helpful at all.

Willingness to Participate

Figure 2 Respondents’ willingness to participate
Figure 2: Respondents’ willingness to participate

When asked if they are willing to apply for Hong Kong’s free airline tickets, a little over half (51.09%) of respondents are willing to apply for the free airline tickets offered by the “Hello Hong Kong” tourism campaign, while 20.01% are not willing to apply. Almost a third of the respondents (28.9%) are unsure.

Factors Influencing Participation

The top factor that could influence someone’s decision to participate in the initiative is personal circumstances, such as work schedules, family obligations, and health concerns, according to 27.84% of the respondents.

Timing is also a significant factor, as 15.03% think travelers may be more likely to participate if the timing works well for them. Other factors included destination appeal (13.78%), cost (14.88%), and safety concerns (14.58%).

Other Measures to Attract Tourists

When asked about other measures the Hong Kong government could take to attract more tourists, the top (19.28%) response was to offer additional incentives in addition to Hong Kong’s free airline tickets, such as discounted hotel stays and store vouchers.

Figure 3 Other measures to attract tourists to Hong Kong
Figure 3: Other measures to attract tourists to Hong Kong

Improving transportation options and developing new and innovative tourism products were also suggested by 13.39% and 13.56%, respectively. Other suggestions include streamlining visa processes (12.29%), providing additional language support (11.08%), and enhancing cultural and historical attractions (10.73%).

Methodology

 
Survey TitleSurvey: Public Opinion on Hong Kong’s Free Airline Ticket
DurationMarch 10-March 17, 2023
Number of Participants10,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 21 to 99
Participating Countries Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong) China (Macao), China (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greanada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Maluritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar [Burma], Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.