Reaction to the government's "Happy Hong Kong" campaign initiative to get people to return to cinemas has been generally positive.

As part of the campaign announced on Monday to cheer people up and boost the economy, the Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, said movie tickets at all cinemas will cost just HK$30 this Saturday.

The Hong Kong Theatres Association is among the groups backing the initiative.

It said it aims to encourage people to return to cinemas and enjoy the unique experience of collective movie viewing.

It added that it hopes people will rediscover watching movies in cinemas, which it described as an irreplaceable entertainment.

Mike Leeder, an English casting director and producer based in Hong Kong, said he believes the offer will give a positive boost to the local cinema business.

“Especially in the last few years with Covid, it’s been such a struggle for cinemas," he told RTHK. "Hopefully it will get people back into the mode of going to see movies on a big screen.”

But while moviegoers were generally happy about the prospect of cheap tickets, one said that the one-off discount may not be enough to reboot the industry.

“If it's just for one time I guess [it's] not really useful to stimulate people to come back to see movies,” she said

“If the timing is OK, I’ll still go to use these sponsored [tickets].”

The tickets will be available for sale from 11 am on Thursday at cinema box offices and online ticketing.