Hong Kong Disneyland failed to meet its visitor attendance target for the second year running, a park official said yesterday, without revealing actual figures.
The Hong Kong government -- which holds a majority stake in the US$3.5 billion park -- had said on Monday that visitor numbers tumbled to just over 4 million in its second year of operation from 5.2 million a year earlier.
Disney confirmed the park had fallen short of its confidential target, but would not provide any figures.
PHOTO: AP
"In the short term, we did not achieve the attendance targets for which we had hoped. We recognize that we need to bolster our numbers," Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman Glendy Chu (朱伊蓮) said in an e-mail response.
The park, which opened on Sept. 12, 2005, attracted 5.2 million visitors in its first year -- 400,000 short of its target of 5.6 million.
It never announced a target for its second year.
The park has been heavily criticized for being too small and lacking the high-profile rides of its sister parks in Tokyo, Paris and the US.
It faces increased competition from Ocean Park, a local marine-based adventure park. There are also reports of a possible Disney theme park in Shanghai.
The government has balked at putting any more money into the theme park until it turns around its losses. The park is 57 percent owned by the Hong Kong government and 43 percent owned by the Walt Disney Co.
"We have urged the management company to continue to improve operational efficiency and devise cost-effective marketing strategies," the government said in its annual update on the operation of the park.
The park plans to introduce four "smaller-scale" attractions next year in a bid to increase the number of activities for visitors, according to the document which will be discussed at a legislative meeting on Friday.
Chu said Disney is in discussions with the Hong Kong government on the park's financial and expansion plans.
Last month, the Walt Disney Co agreed to waive management fees to support the unprofitable park for two years, and will also defer charging royalties over the same period.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
RSS