ENG-2002 — Page 360

TRAVEL AND TOURISM

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Government and The Walt Disney Company will begin construction of the theme park superstructure in January 2003.

Hong Kong Disneyland Phase 1 is expected to open in 2005. This world-class attraction will provide quality recreation facilities for local residents and international visitors. It will strengthen Hong Kong's position as Asia's most popular city tourist destination. Upon opening, it will occupy an area of 126 hectares, comprising a Disney park with four different theme areas, Disney-themed hotels with 1 000 rooms, as well as retail, dining and entertainment facilities. In its first year of operation, the number of tourist visitors is estimated at 3.4 million, rising to 7.4 million after about 15 years. Of these, additional induced tourists are estimated at 1.4 million and 2.9 million, respectively. Additional spending by tourists is expected to amount to some $8.3 billion in Year 1, rising to $16.8 billion per annum in Year 20 and beyond.

The Government has continued to enhance Hong Kong's attractiveness as a tourist destination through the development of major new tourist attractions and the enhancement of existing facilities to broaden the range of its tourism products:-

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in July, the Government entered into a Provisional Agreement with the MTRCL on the Tung Chung Cable Car Project. Upon enactment of the enabling legislation and the completion of relevant statutory procedures by the corporation in 2003, the Government will grant to the MTRCL a 30-year franchise for the development of the cable car system linking Tung Chung and Ngong Ping on a Build-Operate-Transfer basis. The cable car system is expected to be completed in the second half of 2005, and will be a new tourist attraction in itself. At the same time, it will help draw more visitors to other attractions on Lantau;

⚫ to expand the range of heritage tourism attractions, the Government invited the private sector in November to submit imaginative proposals to preserve, restore and convert the former Marine Police Headquarters compound in Tsim Sha Tsui into a tourism-themed development. The objective is to give local residents and visitors alike another opportunity to appreciate Hong Kong's unique cultural heritage;

• construction works for Phase 2 of the Hong Kong Wetland Park at Tin Shui Wai commenced in August. The Wetland Park, which will be Hong Kong's first major ecotourism facility, is scheduled to open in late 2005. Upon its opening, it is expected to attract up to 500 000 nature lovers annually, giving them the opportunity to appreciate the natural heritage of Hong Kong in a magnificent and original setting;

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the Government is developing plans for further tourism facilities, including a tourism node with a modern cruise terminal at the tip of the former Kai Tak Runway in south-east Kowloon, the strategic redevelopment of Ocean Park, which will be linked to plans for the development of the Aberdeen Harbour tourism node, and a heritage tourism project involving the Central Police Station, the former Central Magistracy and the Victoria Prison compound.

Separately, a consultancy study on the development of tourism in the northern New Territories was conducted in the latter part of 2002. The study focused on opportunities in the area for green and heritage tourism.

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