Finance secretary says new rides will entice visitors back
Disneyland has embarked on an expansion programme even before it opens to bring more attractions in the second or third year of operation, Financial Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen said yesterday.
'They were not thinking of it initially but they are already expanding the project. They have a lot of land for expansion and the construction will not affect operations,' said Mr Tang, who is leading a tourism delegation to Guangzhou.
A Hong Kong Disneyland spokesperson said the expansion is within the park's first phase of development, and the company is now focusing on a successful opening in September. Mr Tang said the expansion was necessary so that in the second and third years, visitors could return to the park and find new attractions.
Hong Kong Disneyland expects that two-thirds of its visitors will come from Guangdong, which also accounts for a similar ratio of mainland solo visits to the SAR.
Travel analysts, however, said immigration bottlenecks, inconvenience of travel and the time it takes to issue a solo visit permit might dampen enthusiasm.
