Tourism Infrastructure, Facilities and Products |
Leisure Tourism Following the announcement by the Government and The Walt Disney Company in December 1999 of the development of Hong Kong Disneyland at Penny's Bay on Lantau Island, work on various fronts has commenced and is progressing on schedule. Reclamation for Hong Kong Disneyland Phase 1, which commenced in May 2000, was completed in December. Two major infrastructure contracts to support the development of Hong Kong Disneyland started in October 2001 and August 2002, respectively, and are expected to be completed in 2005. Construction of the Penny's Bay Rail Link by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) also commenced in July. This 3.5-kilometre rail link will run from a new station at Yam O on the existing MTR Tung Chung Line to Hong Kong Disneyland. With the completion of the reclamation for Phase 1 of the park in December, the joint venture company between the Government and The Walt Disney Company will begin construction of the theme park superstructure in January 2003. Hong Kong Disneyland Phase 1 is expected to open in 2005. This world-class attraction will provide quality recreation facilities for local residents and international visitors. It will strengthen Hong Kong's position as Asia's most popular city tourist destination. Upon opening, it will occupy an area of 126 hectares, comprising a Disney park with four different theme areas, Disney-themed hotels with 1 000 rooms, as well as retail, dining and entertainment facilities. In its first year of operation, the number of tourist visitors is estimated at 3.4 million, rising to 7.4 million after about 15 years. Of these, additional induced tourists are estimated at 1.4 million and 2.9 million, respectively. Additional spending by tourists is expected to amount to some $8.3 billion in Year 1, rising to $16.8 billion per annum in Year 20 and beyond. The Government has continued to enhance Hong Kong's attractiveness as a tourist destination through the development of major new tourist attractions and the enhancement of existing facilities to broaden the range of its tourism products:-
Separately, a consultancy study on the development of tourism in the northern New Territories was conducted in the latter part of 2002. The study focused on opportunities in the area for green and heritage tourism. Events Tourism One of the key strategies for further strengthening Hong Kong's position as a premier destination in Asia is to promote and facilitate the staging of major events to build a reputation as the 'Events Capital of Asia'. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) continued to spearhead the 'City of Life: Hong Kong is it!' tourism campaign, with support from government departments and the 18 District Councils. Five mega events were organised under the campaign, namely 'CLP Lights Up Hong Kong', '2002 Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Parade & Fiesta', 'Hong Kong Flower Extravaganza', 'HSBC Mega Hong Kong Sale' and 'Hong Kong WinterFest' which included the 'City of Life Street Carnival'. Other initiatives organised under the campaign in 2002 included the continuation of the 'Recommendation of the Month' programme to promote the district attractions and the 'Best of the Best Culinary Awards' to promote Hong Kong as a gourmet paradise. During the year, Hong Kong hosted a number of events of international significance. These included the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament, the Hong Kong Marathon, and the Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse, all of which attracted strong overseas and local participation. On the cultural front, the annual Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival proved ever popular, as did Chinese traditional events such as the Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival. A variety of district activities were also held throughout Hong Kong including the district festivals, district arts and sports programmes, food festivals, festive lighting displays, and traditional rituals and parades such as the Bun Festival on Cheung Chau. |