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Winnie Yeung

Holiday fair hopes to compete against theme parks with lower entrance fee

A temporary carnival  at Tamar during the holiday season is expected to compete with the city's  theme parks with lower entrance fees.

Hong Kong World Carnival will return to the city on December 15 for 101 days covering Christmas and the Lunar  New Year.

But unlike in previous years, the carnival, featuring 65 rides and game stalls,  will not have free entry.

The carnival's stock control manager, Antonie Phillips, said that at HK$180  the highest entrance fee for adults would be lower than that for Ocean Park and Disneyland.

The  one-day weekday entrance fee for adults would be HK$110 during the day and HK$150 at night. The fair closes at 11pm.

The fee for weekends and public holidays would be HK$160 and HK$180, respectively.

Children and senior citizens would pay HK$75 during the day and HK$95 at nights on weekdays, or HK$100  and HK$120, respectively,  on weekends and public holidays.

The  entrance fee for Ocean Park is HK$185 for adults and HK$93 for children, while Disneyland's entrance fees  range from HK$170 to HK$350.

Mr Phillips said guests would be given tokens for rides, but the number could not yet be revealed.

Previously, the  fair used  a separate pricing system, with tickets for more exhilarating rides costing more than HK$100.

With no entrance fee, previous fairs attracted a high number of visitors, but many did not spend  money, Mr Phillips said.

The last world carnival at Tamar from late 2003 to February 2004 attracted 1.4 million visitors, with an average spending  of just HK$70.

Mr Phillips said he was confident the carnival would become a major tourist attraction and the pricing  would be competitive compared with other  attractions.

He said the carnival would be  the last major event at the site before the construction of new government headquarters.

A Disney  spokesman  said the park had a unique position in Hong Kong - to provide 'a magical experience'  - so would not compare pricing with the carnival.

An Ocean Park spokeswoman wished the carnival good luck and said the park  always welcomed more attractions in Hong Kong.

A Travel Industry Council  spokesman  did not believe the carnival would  affect business at the two theme parks because they would have their own promotions over the festive seasons.

The carnival has begun to recruit 600 frontline staff, mainly for operating rides and event monitoring. More than 500 job seekers were seen queuing for an interview yesterday.

The hourly rate is HK$35, with a daily bonus of HK$50 if the employees work all  shifts without taking leave. Recruitment ends tomorrow.



Tamar carnival to charge for entry  but tokens will be given for rides