Ngong Ping 360 records strong visitor growth in 2023, over 90 pc of pre-pandemic levels

Ngong Ping 360 said there was a 2.5-fold increase in passengers last year compared to 2022, recovering 95 percent of the pre-pandemic level.

During the New Year banquet held this afternoon, it was stated that they had welcomed 1.38 million new passengers, with an average of nearly 4,300 each day.

With the volume of overseas passengers recovering to about 92 percent of the pre-pandemic levels, and while mainland passenger numbers are surging by around 30 percent, passenger levels from the short-haul Asian market have returned to about 97 percent of the amount recorded in 2019.

While many sectors have claimed to be suffering from the reopening of borders, leading locals to head overseas, Ngong Ping 360 was able to fight back against the market and instead saw a 23 percent increase in local customers and a 29 percent increase in the sales of the 360 Annual Pass compared to pre-pandemic levels.

They had also recorded a 26 percent year-on-year increase in new customers and returned to 98 percent of the pre-pandemic level, which has also facilitated spending in the Ngong Ping Village, seeing a 27 percent increase compared to pre-pandemic levels.

In regards to extending the opening hours of the cable cars, Ngong Ping 360's managing director, Andy Lau, stated that there is a limit to the operation time of the cable cars, and due to the nearby residence, it is more difficult to operate the services overnight. He believes it might be worth considering overnight operations during holiday periods.

He said that there are no plans to increase fares, as they recently did it last November, and it is focusing on improving services.

In addition, ten more crystal cabins have been bought by Ngong Ping 360 to allow more guests to enjoy unobstructed panoramic views through the sides and bottom of the cabin.

The cabins are expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of this year and will be in operation in December, the company said.