MANILA -- Ngong Ping 360 in Hong Kong is offering Filipinos a 15 percent discount at select retail and food shops from Wednesday until the end of 2024.

Ngong Ping 360 Managing Director James Tung said this is their way to entice more Filipinos to visit Hong Kong and its cable car system, which is the longest in Asia. 

Ngong Ping 360 officials were in Manila for their first ever travel trade and media briefing.

“It used to be Thailand was number one [visitors], now Filipinos are taking over which is a very, very welcoming scene for us. That is why we are here trying to grow on that strength,” said Tung, who met representatives of Philippine travel agencies and local airlines.

Tung added that there has been a growing number of Filipino tourists in Hong Kong and even at its Ngong Ping cable car and Ngong Ping village attractions. 

They have also partnered with other groups to give more options to tourists as they noticed many visitors are now preferring natural sites and views, instead of the usual Hong Kong skyline attraction.

It now has a Tai O Pass, which can take travelers to the waterways of Hong Kong’s oldest fishing village, and there is also the Lantau Sightseeing Bus that connects Lantau island’s different attractions.

“Guests here in the Philippines are now also looking for more unique experiences, more natural experiences… We actually do offer very nice, very unique natural scenery. Cable car ride itself is already an attraction in itself,” Tung said.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board reported that the Philippines was the top visitor in Hong Kong last year among Southeast Asian nations. Some 763,778 Filipinos arrived in Hong Kong in 2023, higher compared to Thailand’s 450,372, Singapore’s 400,029, Malaysia’s 258,191, Indonesia’s 252,432, and Vietnam’s 34,662.

The Philippine Department of Tourism also reported that Hong Kong remains the top international destination for Filipinos. Nearly half a million Filipinos flew to Hong Kong from May to December 2023, followed by Singapore, Japan, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

“Philippines is always been a very important source market for Hong Kong. Actually one of the largest in terms of tourist arrivals prior to the pandemic. And post pandemic actually has come back very fast as well,” said Tung.

He also announced there will be Doraemon-themed cable cars and other sculptures at Ngong Ping 360 until August this year. 

For Filipinos wanting to get the 15 percent discount, they should present their Philippine passport at the Holiday 360 Information Center at Ngong Ping Village to collect the discount coupons.