Hong Kong cable car operator hikes annual pass prices by 22 per cent
Annual passes for unlimited rides on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car will cost HK$550 from the first day of the Lunar New Year on February 16.
The price hike comes four months after it raised prices of adult round-trip and single-trip cable car rides – from the town of Tung Chung to the Ngong Ping entertainment complex – by an average of 12.3 per cent to HK$210 and HK$145 respectively.
A spokesman for Ngong Ping 360 said it had not adjusted the price for annual passes for five years. The last increase of about 15 per cent was in 2013, when prices rose from HK$390 to HK$450.
Annual pass holders are entitled to unlimited rides in a standard cabin for the whole year from the date of purchase.
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Those who purchase annual passes at the Tung Chung terminus from February 16 to March 2 can enjoy express ticketing services and receive HK$300 worth of gift vouchers, for an upgrade to a premium “crystal cabin” with a transparent glass bottom for a single trip and entertainment attraction tickets at Ngong Ping Village, a shopping-cum-entertainment complex built in traditional Chinese architectural style.
“Crystal cabin” rides cost HK$290 for a round trip and HK$200 for a single trip for adults.
As visitors normally flock to the ride during the Lunar New Year holiday, the operator said it would extend its opening hours from 9am to 8pm from February 16 to 19, and 9.30am to 6pm from February 20 to 23.
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Ngong Ping 360, a subsidiary of the MTR Corporation that opened in 2006, drew some 1.71 million visitors in 2016, up 5.5 per cent from 2015. Last year’s visitor figures are not yet available, but the attraction was closed for almost half a year as the cable car’s wire ropes were replaced.
The 5.7km cable car journey takes about 25 minutes, with the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery being popular attractions at Ngong Ping Village.