According to Hong Kong's Sindao Daily, Hong Kong Disneyland is raising its entrance ticket prices despite others organizations' efforts to boast the region's tourism industry during the global financial crisis.
Hong Kong Disneyland has announced that, from February 9 onwards, it would adopt a unified door ticket price, which means that there will be no special ticket prices for holidays or designated days and the entrance ticket price for normal days will be increased by up to 20%. After the adjustment, the door ticket price for adult is expected to be 350 yuan, an increase of 18%; the ticket price for children between three and 11 years old is?250 yuan, up 19%; while the ticket for senior citizens over 65 years old is?170 yuan.
Hong Kong's travel service providers are reportedly very angry with Disneyland's action, saying that it is damaging Hong Kong's tourism image as a whole. However, a representative of Hong Kong Disneyland said that they made the decision to raise the price after a careful consideration, since their research indicates that tourists' decision to visit Disneyland depends on the time they have available, and not the price of the door ticket. So they expect that the price increase won't affect the number of tourists.
A representative of the Hong Kong Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said they had already prompted Hong Kong Disneyland to consider the influence of the adjustment on its operation, tourists flow and the whole tourism industry in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Tourism Board said it would notify tourists about Hong Kong Disneyland's price adjustment through its website, tourist consulting centers, and overseas offices.
(China Hospitality News February 6, 2009)
