Dong declined to disclose the total number of long-distance travelers who visited the destination between January and mid-May, but said they accounted for about 15 percent of traffic during that period.
During the same period in 2018, before the pandemic, long-haul travelers made up 22% of customers.
A 20-year veteran of the tourism industry, Tong has worked with K11 Concepts, Hong Kong Disneyland, the Tourism Board, Australian airline Qantas and Hong Kong’s now-defunct Cathay Dragon, which was then known as Dragonair.
He said Western tourists generally prefer “off the beaten path” experiences that allow them to delve deeper into natural landscapes, giving Ngong Ping 360 an advantage over traditional urban tourist attractions.
He added that he was confident long-haul customers would return as air capacity continues to expand.
Tun said the number of daily visitors from January to mid-May increased 40 percent year-on-year, driven by Southeast Asia.
Visitors from the Philippines saw the highest growth of 107 percent, while passenger numbers from Thailand rose 15 percent over 2018’s record, he said.
“The Philippines has now become one of our most important markets in Asia,” Tung said.
Ngong Ping 360 managing director James Tan said he was pleased that passenger numbers have recovered to 95% of pre-pandemic levels. Photo: Yick Yen Man
Tourism department statistics showed tourism from the Philippines reached about 85% of pre-pandemic levels last year, making it the city’s most recovered tourist market.
The city is expected to welcome 264,239 Filipino tourists in the first quarter of 2024, up 135 percent from the same period six years ago.
Tung said tourists from the Philippines traditionally focused on the city’s theme parks but may now be looking for a wider range of entertainment options.
Visitor spending on admission tickets has also been strong, with a 27 percent increase recorded from January to April compared to last year, Tung said.
This figure is a 32 percent increase from 2018.
Tung attributed the growth to the “upsell” of its premium Crystal Cabins, which feature glass floors, and its updated Crystal+ service, which was introduced in December 2022 and features transparent floors and walls.
Ngong Ping 360 raised ticket prices by about 15% in October last year, but Mr Tung said there were no plans for further increases at this time.
He added that 10 more Crystal+ cabin aircraft will be added from December this year, bringing the total number of aircraft in service to 20.
A round-trip ticket in Crystal+ cabin between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping costs HK$350 per adult, about 30 per cent more than the standard cabin seat fare.
The attraction will also launch Doraemon-themed cabins and premium gifts in mid-June as part of the blue-and-white robot cat’s “100% Doraemon & Friends” exhibition in Hong Kong.
Ronald Wu Kaen-ho, executive director of Gray Line Tours and a commissioner for the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said Thai tourists’ enjoyment of touring Hong Kong’s Buddhist temples had helped boost interest in travel from his country to Hong Kong.
“They might visit six or seven temples in one trip… Che Kung, Wong Tai Sin, and so on,” he added.
Wu said flights from Hong Kong to Thailand and the Philippines had recovered well as various “non-traditional airlines” such as AirAsia quickly restored capacity.
Hong Kong’s national carrier Cathay Pacific has extended its pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity target by three months to the first quarter of 2025.
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