A file photo of the Disneyland in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Disneyland plans to increase its ticket prices by nearly 20 percent after February 9. The move has come as an unexpected blow to Hong Kong's gloomy tourist market, already suffering from the global financial crisis.

According to a notice issued by the theme park on February 3, the ordinary adult day ticket price will rise to 350 yuan (US $51.3) per person, up 18 percent, while the ticket for children from 3 to 11 goes up 19 percent to 250 yuan. Previously, the park only raised its prices during holiday seasons. However, the price increase will not affect Hong Kong natives in the first half of this year.

Disneyland held a meeting attended by numerous industrial insiders on Tuesday to announce its decision on price changes. According to a spokesman from the park, the new strategy was defined with care by the park’s decision makers following a number of market surveys in which the park managers found that tourist visits are influenced by seasonal factors rather than price differences. Hong Kong Disneyland therefore plans to set up a unified ticket system as do the parks in the rest of the world, and tag all its tickets at the holiday price levels. But in view of Hong Kong's current economic recession, the park will maintain the old prices for local residents for the next six months.

But the price surge triggered grumbles from industry insiders who criticized the decision as damaging to Hong Kong's tourist image. Michael Wu, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents, said that following increasing visitor numbers to Disneyland in recent months, the park's abrupt decision to increase prices will turn out to be a fatal error. Many industrial insiders expressed their disappointment at the lack of prior consultations. Leung Yiu-lam, chairman of the Hong Kong Inbound Travel Association Ltd, said: "I cannot understand what Disneyland is up to when the global travel industry is struggling with discounting strategies to try to maintain tourist numbers."

Threatened with a potential boycott by local travel agencies, Hong Kong Disneyland adjusted its price strategy on Tuesday evening. According to the revised plan, non-Hong-Kong residents who book their tickets via travel agencies can also take advantage of the old prices till June 30.

Although still able to enjoy preferential prices for the next six months, some Hong Kong residents expressed their disapproval of Disney's new price policies. "It is already a costly business for a family to visit Disneyland, with the expensive catering and lavish souvenir stores. This increased price will significantly reduce visitors' enthusiasm for a trip," said a local resident named Yu.

According to the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the price increase is a business decision made by Disneyland alone. Local authorities have warned the park's management to consider the consequences of the price hike on tourist visits in the light of industry feedback. The government will also keep a close watch on the issue. The updated ticket prices will be notified through tourist websites, tourist consulting centers, and hotlines run by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

(China.org.cn by Wu Jin, February 5, 2009)