Hong Kong travel companies will only be able to put on a limited amount of overseas tours until airlines increase the number of seats on flights, the Travel Industry Council (TIC) said on Thursday.

TIC executive director Fanny Yeung said only 15 to 30 percent of the tours running before the pandemic are currently available and it could take around a year for the previous offering to be restored.

"What we understand is that until the end of this year, the flight capacity can only resume around up to 70 percent of the pre-pandemic time. Without the flights, without the seats, we cannot resume 100 percent," Yeung noted.

The general manager of Miramar Travel Limited, Alex Lee, said interest in overseas tours is picking up well.

"You can see a lot of bookings coming in. But we all rely on the air and sea supply. If the airlines resume all their services as soon as possible, we can increase a lot on our bookings," he said.

Yeung also said that the further re-opening of the border has made it easier for travel agencies to hire new staff.

"With the opening of the mainland boundaries, the confidence level is better. It is easier for us to get people in," she said.

Meanwhile, budget airline HK Express said it plans to hire 1,000 people this year. It said it expects capacity to reach 75 percent of the pre-pandemic level by the end of 2023 and to recover fully by the middle of next year.