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Through its latest amusement park, Disney is learning how to bring the magical kingdom to the Middle Kingdom
Hong Kong Disneyland opened on September 12, 2005, marking the Walt Disney Co. s first park in China and 11th park worldwide (the other parks are in France, Japan, and the United States). Though the park hit a few bumps in its first year of operations, Disneyland quickly became one of the top three most popular attractions in Hong Kong. The park received more than 5 million visitors in its first year, just missing its goal of 5.6 million visitors. Though it is currendy the smallest Disneyland park, after planned expansions, Hong Kong Disneyland will eventually handle many more visitors per year. Disney's second year of operations already looks more promising. But to win the hearts of Chinese tourists, Disney must do more than attract guests to a new park. First, it must teach the public about the "wonderful world of Disney."
Ownership structure
The Walt Disney Co. owns 43 percent of Hong Kong Disneyland, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government owns 57 percent; currently, no other Disney park is partly government-owned. In a recent interview with the CBR, Josh D'Amaro, vice president, Sales and Travel Trade Marketing, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, said, "Disney has a strong relationship with the Hong Kong government. Hong Kong has been working to boost tourism and has been aiming to attract families instead of just businesspeople and shoppers. According to Hong Kong Tourism Board figures, overnight family visitors to Hong Kong in the first half of 2006 grew 24 percent over the first half of 2005; 36 percent of overnight family visitors brought along their children, compared to 20 percent in 2005. We like to think Disneyland played a role in this change-people don't just come to Hong Kong for business and shopping anymore."
Park visitors
According to D'Amaro, Hong Kong Disneylands summer 2006 visitor boom ran from July to the beginning of September. That summer, roughly 50 percent of the park's visitors came from mainland China. During the rest of the year, about one-third of park visitors came from Hong Kong, one-third from mainland China, and one-third from Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries such as...