(CNN) — Hong Kong attracted round 56 million guests a yr earlier than the pandemic, and now the favored vacation spot is taking vital steps to win vacationers again after over two years of a number of the world’s hardest journey restrictions.

Simply days after dropping its longstanding necessary resort quarantine requirement, Hong Kong has confirmed plans to present away half one million airline tickets in a bid to spice up tourism.

“Again in 2020, Airport Authority Hong Kong bought round 500,000 air tickets prematurely from the territory’s home-based airways as a part of a aid bundle to assist the aviation business,” says the spokesperson.

“The acquisition serves the aim of injecting liquidity into the airways upfront, whereas the tickets will probably be given away to world guests and Hong Kong residents out there restoration marketing campaign.”

‘Restoration marketing campaign’

Vacationers within the departure corridor of Hong Kong Worldwide Airport on September 26.

Marc Fernandes/NurPhoto/AP

Additional particulars will probably be introduced as soon as the related preparations have been made with airways, they mentioned.

Hong Kong has been largely lower off from the remainder of the world attributable to its Covid-19 quarantine guidelines, which at one stage required incoming vacationers to spend 21 days in a resort room at their very own expense, with solely Hong Kong residents permitted entry.

Cathay Pacific, town’s flag service, arrange a digital “ready room” to entry its web site at one level, whereas on-line journey reserving service Expedia noticed a nine-fold surge in seek for flights from Hong Kong to Tokyo and 11-fold for flights from Hong Kong to Osaka — though curiosity in flights to Hong Kong remained unchanged, in response to Lavinia Rajaram, Expedia’s Asia head of public relations.

“We hope to present the utmost room to reconnect Hong Kong, and to revitalize our economic system,” Hong Kong’s Chief Govt John Lee mentioned in a press convention on Friday.

However whereas the resort quarantine might have been lifted, guests to Hong Kong nonetheless face numerous guidelines and restrictions earlier than and after arriving.

Incoming worldwide vacationers should submit a pre-flight vaccination certificates, in addition to a damaging PCR take a look at and fast antigen take a look at, earlier than coming into.

As soon as they have been permitted to enter, guests are required to endure a three-day self-monitoring interval, throughout which era they’re prohibited from consuming in eating places or visiting bars.

Guests additionally want to finish PCR exams on days 2, 4 and 6 after arrival, and a fast antigen take a look at daily for seven days.

CNN’s Maggie Hiufu Wong, Simone McCarthy, Kathleen Magramo and Jake Kwon additionally contributed to this report