Learning from the tram business
Is there a transport company in Hong Kong that has no plan to raise fares?
Even better, it has no plan to import labour.
Above all, it's been offering free rides for almost one in five weekends or holidays. In fact, it is free starting this weekend for five straight days.
Enter Ding Ding, aka Hong Kong Tramways, one of Hong Kong’s biggest tourist attractions and local favourite , though probably except during summer daytime.
At just HK$3 a ride, the double-decker, run by the French transport company RATP Dev Asia since 2009 after taking over from the Wharf Group, is the cheapest local transport means. It got a price hike from HK$2.6 last July but not many complaints were heard.
With a history of 119 years, the tram company has found a secret success recipe in corporate sponsoring.
Last year, a dozen companies or entities sponsored a free ride day as part of their celebrations, for HK$1 million each time. That together with advertising revenue made up half of its total revenue last year.
Corporate sponsors who are willing to pay an undemanding HK$1 million – or about 14 cents per capita, would achieve usually good publicity. That explains why it is getting more sponsors.
Next month, for example, would see the Bank of China Hong Kong, China Merchants, China Resources, China Travel and China Pacific Insurance along with the Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association offer free tram rides from July 1st to 5th to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong return’s to China.
Sponsors were not limited to companies. In 2022, the fan club of Keung To, the lead singer of the popular band Mirror sponsored a free tram ride as a gift to their idol.
For the second time on Apr 30th, the birthday of Keung, the “Keung Candies” sponsored the tram ride to say love to their 24-year-old idol by playing one of his hit songs “The Love Without Words”.
Keung To fans’ idea has also inspired fans from another club such as Anson Lo, a teammate of Keung, to offer free ferry rides on Lo’s birthday on July 7th.
One other nice thing to learn about the tram business was its capacity went back to 90 per cent of the pre-pandemic level, a remarkable achievement while some industries are still suffering from a continuing exodus that has seen over 200,000 people leave the city for good in recent years.
-- Contact us at [email protected]
-
Disappointed, Hong Kong migrants return from U.K. Mark O'Neill
Unable to find a satisfactory job and integrate easily into British society, some Hong Kong migrants have returned home – but remain discreet for fear of losing face with their friends and former
-
Visualisation is the best way for communication Dr. Winnie Tang
In recent years, environmental expectations have become increasingly high, and urban development is prone to disputes. The international tournament held at the Fanling Golf Course in March reminded
-
What drives you? Brian YS Wong
“What drives you?” All eyes were on me – the instructor at the front of the class. Before me were thirty eager high-schoolers, ambitious and aspiring, bushy-eyed and cherubic yet by no means naïve.
-
Integration of GIS and BIM can drive development of smart city Dr. Winnie Tang
The China Association for Geospatial Industry and Sciences (“the CAGIS”) released the Top Ten Highlights of China's Geographic Information Industry in 2023, which provides much inspiration. The
-
Equip young people for the future Dr. Winnie Tang
In late February, the inaugural flight of an air taxi from Shenzhen Shekou Cruise Homeport to Zhuhai Jiuzhou Port took only 20 minutes with an estimated one-way ticket price of 200 to 300 yuan per
-
日本清酒界干邑~十四代蘭引酒矚目登場
-
百想影后金高銀為Nespresso亞洲品牌大使
-
紅色優雅~Ferragamo Red Leather
-
日本 No.1護膚品牌TAKAMI登陸香港
-
花14年籌拍馬來西亞血腥衝突
-
On Eurovision 2024
-
WATCHES & WONDERS 2024︰Patek Philippe創新傳統
-
WATCHES & WONDERS 2024︰Vacheron Constantin製錶傳承
-
WATCHES & WONDERS 2024︰Van Cleef & Arpels匠人才華
-
Disappointed, Hong Kong migrants return from U.K.