Visitors From India Works Hong Kong Disneyland Magic

 

Results recently announced by Hong Kong Disneyland show it is was in the black for the year ended October 2 before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, prompting park chief Andrew Kam Min-ho to say he is confident of turning a net profit "fairly soon."Theme park operations are long-term investments with high overhead costs precluding them from turning a quick profit. Achieving operating profit alone isn't easy, so Disneyland's management is justifiably beaming, especially when the park was still deep in the red the previous year, when its books were first made public. Various factors contributed to the encouraging turnaround, including new financial arrangements between the SAR operation and US head office, and attendance growth. And with all eyes on mainland visitors, it was quite surprising to discover that tourists from India are the main driving force behind the park's rising patronage. As Disneyland announced its results last Tuesday, Indian visitors told an electronic media reporter they came to Hong Kong because the theme park is the closest such attraction to them. Park management has long realized the potential of Asian countries as fresh sources of visitors, and that "things American" hold a special appeal to Indian consumers, so efforts have been made to woo them. For example, in catering, Disneyland's restaurants offer quality curry dishes that have won the approval of even Indian visitors - a fact highlighted by Kam at a joint funct ion with the Sing Tao News Corp last year.Among BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries, India ranks second to China in terms of population, and fast-developing trade ties between the two nations are bringing an expanding stream of Indian tourists to Hong Kong. While taking steps to attract patrons from the mainland, Hong Kong Disneyland has also successfully attracted Indian visitors - a strategy other sectors would do well to emulate. Siu Sai-wo is chief editor of Sing Tao Daily

Source: The Standard