New offerings in the pipeline for 2016 and beyond underscore commitment to the tourism industry in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL) today reported its results for fiscal 2015. Despite softness in the overall Hong Kong tourism industry, HKDL reported its second-highest annual revenues and third-highest annual attendance of 6.8 million. HKDL also achieved record guest spending, marking six consecutive years of per capita guest spending growth.
The resort registered record local attendance due to the successful Magic Access program as well as popular limited-time events and exclusive offerings. Lower visitation from mainland China and the region largely contributed to softer overall theme park attendance. HKDL has a diverse guest mix with dedicated services to meet their needs. Locals accounted for 39% of total attendance, while mainland and international visitation made up 41% and 20%, respectively. Hotel occupancy was close to 80%.
Impacted by the challenges in the tourism industry, HKDL generated revenues of HK$5,114 million, with a net loss of HK$148 million for the fiscal year ending in early October 2015.
“While fiscal 2015 was a challenging year in the entire tourism sector, we are committed to continuously contributing to the growth of the tourism industry in Hong Kong,” said HKDL Managing Director Andrew Kam. “We are making significant investments in the guest experience at Hong Kong Disneyland, including new entertainment just launched as part of our 10th Anniversary celebration, the opening of the Iron Man Experience in 2016 and the construction of a new resort hotel, Disney Explorers Lodge, which will welcome its first guests in 2017.”
“We take a long-term approach to wwweloping our resorts, and our investments in Hong Kong Disneyland illustrate both our confidence in the future of the resort and our belief in the destination of Hong Kong,” he added.
Fiscal 2015 saw the introduction of “Disney Paint the Night” Parade, which has quickly become an internationally acclaimed highlight at the park. In 2015, the parade received top honors from industry leaders, including the Themed Entertainment Association’s Thea Award forOutstanding Achievement – Parade Spectacular and the 2015 Brass Ring Award for Best Multimedia Spectacular from International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.
In November, HKDL kicked off its year-long “Happily Ever After” 10th Anniversary celebration with an array of specially-designed entertainment offerings, including the brand-new “Mickey and the Wondrous Book” stage show and the whimsical walkthrough attraction “Fairy Tale Forest” presented by PANDORA.
Looking ahead, the resort will continue to introduce exciting new experiences for guests. When a new themed area based on Marvel’s Iron Man franchise opens this year, guests will join Tony Stark in battle across Hong Kong in a first-of-its-kind attraction. And the new Disney Explorers Lodge, a 750-room hotel dedicated to the spirit of exploration, is currently under construction. The hotel is slated to open in 2017 and will offer immersive, resort-style accommodations for guests with four themed gardens based on exotic global cultures.
HKDL also plans to launch new offerings later this year based on the blockbuster movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Brand new offers include a completely upgraded look for Space Mountain rollercoaster in Tomorrowland, which will be transformed into Hyperspace Mountain and fitted with out-of-this-world Star Wars elements. Also coming to the park is Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple, where apprentices can use the Force to battle with lightsabers against the dark side, including Darth Vader.
Other incredible new experience include character greetings with beloved Disney friends from “Big Hero 6” and “Sofia the First.” In the light of the popularity of Duffy and ShellieMay, a dedicated merchandise shop will be launched in coming months.
Continuous contributions to the community
For fiscal 2015, HKDL brought about HK$9.3 billion of value added to Hong Kong, equivalent to around 0.42% of the city’s overall GDP. Also, 20,900 jobs (in terms of man-years) were created, benefiting Hong Kong’s overall economy.
On average, HKDL employed more than 5,300 full-time and 2,500 part-time staff during the year, making the resort one of Hong Kong’s largest employers. HKDL is committed to wwweloping a highly skilled and quality labour force, providing them more than 345,000 hours of professional and technical training during the fiscal year.
HKDL also supported the Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education of the Open University of Hong Kong to launch a two-year Higher Diploma in Resort and Theme Park Management, a first-of-its-kind university program for nurturing talent in Hong Kong with a focus on the theme park industry.
The resort is committed to Hong Kong and the communities it serves. HKDL welcomed more than 100,000 underprivileged community members to visit the park and contributed over 9,000 hours of skills and services through its Disney VoluntEARS program. HKDL further encouraged volunteerism through a partnership with the Agency for Volunteers Services, which ultimately led to more than six million hours of service since the inauguration of the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program in 2010.
Other community highlights from fiscal 2015 include providing support and HK$2 million in funding for the Hong Kong Design Centre to launch the Happy “D” Project for students to design a program that inspired creativity and happiness in the community. The project reached tens of thousands of people in 12 districts of Hong Kong.
HKDL received a total of 92 awards during the fiscal year in recognition of its design, technical achievements, guest service, family appeal, and commitment to the community and the environment.
