Weekday rides on the Lantau cable car will cost up to 15 per cent more beginning next month, the third of the city's major attractions to raise ticket prices this year.
MTR Corporation, which operates the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, will no longer have different prices for 'regular' and 'special' days, instead adopting a single fare of HK$107 for adults and HK$74 for children.
An MTR Corp spokesman said the special-day pricing scheme had frustrated some tourists trying to book ahead of time but who were not sure which day they would visit the Big Buddha attraction.
'Local travel agents said some tourists gave up on booking after they were told to choose between normal days and special days, as they had no fixed schedule yet at the time.'
The spokesman said only 20 per cent of customers would be affected, as most people already arrived on special days, which included weekends, Sundays, summer vacation and public holidays.
But Paul Leung Yin-lam of the Hong Kong Inbound Travel Association said the price increase came at a bad time. 'While the number of incoming mainland tourists has rebounded, the number of visitors from elsewhere fluctuates.'
