Travel Industry News at TravelNewsAsia.com since 1997
Tuesday, 16 May 2023

Hong Kong Disneyland Reports Record-High Local Attendance and Annual Pass Membership

(16/05/23)  Hong Kong Disneyland Resort's (HKDL) business results for fiscal year 2022 (FY22) reached historic highs for another consecutive year, with both the resort’s local attendance and Magic Access (annual pass) membership increasing by 22% year-on-year, despite continued negative challenges caused by the COVID19 pandemic on tourism and operating conditions.

FY22 represented the third consecutive fiscal year of major business and operational disruption for HKDL as a result of the pandemic. As required by relevant regulatory measures, the resort experienced a compulsory closure of its theme park for nearly three and a half months, which was longer compared with the year before, as well as capacity limits, social distancing requirements and other anti-pandemic measures. In FY22, HKDL’s theme park only operated for about six months in total due to both mandatory closure and five-day operation weeks.

Mickey Mouse surfing at Hong Kong Disneyland. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com Click to enlarge.
Mickey Mouse surfing at Hong Kong Disneyland. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

The fifth wave of the pandemic in Hong Kong led to continued travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, keeping tourist arrivals essentially at a standstill. The resort also faced severe headwinds from the overall market environment, with a reversed economic growth trajectory and a shrinking local workforce.

Despite these challenges in FY22, HKDL posted a 22% increase in total attendance to 3.4 million fuelled by only local Hong Kong residents. Revenue for the year grew by 31% to HK$2.2 billion. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) improved by 11%, to negative HK$861 million. Net loss narrowed to HK$2.1 billion, a 12% improvement compared to the previous year.

At the resort hotels, overall occupancy edged up three percentage points to 24%, reflecting, amongst others, the absence of tourist arrivals as well as the temporary closure of the Disney’s Hollywood Hotel for planned renovation. However, the hotel utilisation for the year was 78%. Efforts to enhance guest offerings and products drove improvements in per capita guest spending and per room guest spending by 11% and 7%, respectively.

In addition to deferring royalty payments for FY22, The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) has upsized its revolver facility for HKDL from HK$2.1 billion to HK$2.7 billion since November 2022, demonstrating its support of the resort.

“Thanks to the staunch support of our shareholders, cast members (staff) and the people of Hong Kong, strong brand appeal, exciting guest offerings and effective business strategies, we have seen improvements across the board despite headwinds from the prolonged pandemic”, said Michael Moriarty, managing director at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. “The reimagined Castle of Magical Dreams [pictured below] and nighttime spectacular ‘Momentous’ have been game changers. Additionally, the world’s first and biggest Frozen themed land, which will be launched later this year, will be a defining addition to our world-class attractions that help us win over locals and tourists alike.”

Among the highlights scheduled for H2 2023 is the reopening of the Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, which is set to welcome guests back with a new look of the hotel lobby and two restaurants starting in mid-July.

Another eagerly awaited addition is the Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue – “Dream Makers”, which will be unveiled in October, while in November, the highly anticipated World of Frozen will make its debut, transporting guests to the magical world of Elsa, Anna, and Olaf.

The theme park will also review market conditions and, where appropriate, adjust its operation to open six or seven days a week from mid-June onwards to meet guests demand, giving them even more opportunities to experience the magic of the happiest place on earth.

With a “locals-only” market landscape due to the pandemic in the past few years, HKDL optimized its performance by introducing an array of new offerings with creative storytelling, driving business and product innovation and launching targeted sales and marketing communications.

Making a Difference

HKDL helped the local community through Disney VoluntEARS in the following three major areas: providing a free online storytelling video series; donating food and essentials to underserved families; and demonstrating appreciation to medical staff and other frontline workers.

Over the past 17 years, HKDL has dedicated around 114,000 volunteer hours to spreading magic beyond the resort to the local community. The resort also collaborated with the Foodlink Foundation to donate nearly 10 tonnes of food.

As part of its initiatives to support the disabled community, HKDL collaborated with different non-profit organizations to:

- Offer the Barrier-Free Ambassadors Training Programme so employees can further understand their needs;

- Relaunch a four-month apprenticeship programme “Disney Side by Side Journey” to provide vocational training and job opportunities; and

- Provide additional inclusive offerings and products, such as introducing theatrical interpretation with sign language with body movements to the Halloween show “Let’s Get Wicked” and “Mickey and the Wondrous Book”.

HKDL is committed to inspiring and empowering the next generation of diverse storytellers and innovators. It held the Disney Imaginations Hong Kong 2022 Design Competition which saw the participation of more than 300 local tertiary students. Members of the champion team were given internship opportunity at the resort for eight weeks.

Collaborating with The Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong, the resort funded the Sports Legacy Scheme to provide tailor-made professional sports training for around 200 children and young people. A new career and life development programme, “Youth Dare to Dream”, was also launched, covering ethnic minorities and others.

Additionally, HKDL prioritized the wellbeing of its cast members and improved its package of staff benefits. This included increasing parental leave entitlement and expanding child bonding leave benefits to all staff. Nearly 190,000 hours of professional and technical training, workshops on diversity, equity and inclusion, and an Emerging Leaders programme were also provided to develop a highly skilled, quality labour force.

On average, HKDL employed around 4,700 full-time and over 1,400 part-time staff during FY22, continuing to be one of Hong Kong’s largest employers in the tourism and family entertainment industry.

In the past 17 years of operations combined, the resort brought approximately HK$116.1 billion of value-added to Hong Kong’s economy, equivalent to 0.27% of Hong Kong’s GDP, and cumulatively created 277,200 jobs (in terms of man-years), benefiting Hong Kong’s overall economy.

Latest videosIndia's Aviation Market - Exclusive 4K Video Interview with Roshan Mendis, EVP and CCO of Sabre Travel Solutions, Living With One Eye - Six Years On by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com, Noise Cancelling Ear Plugs for a Perfect Night's Sleep, Amari Watergate Bangkok - 4K Video Interview with Sukamal Mondal, Area GM.



Headlines: Minor Hotels Signs Second Anantara Resort in Brazil  Indonesia and Malaysia Named World's Top Two Destinations for Muslim Travellers  IHG Simplifies Hotel Wi-Fi with Auto Connect Solution  Qatar Airways Resumes Flights to Tokyo Haneda  Global Air Traffic at 90.5% of Pre-COVID19 Levels in April 2023  Steve Armitage to Leave BEIA for Hospitality New Zealand  Air Canada Café Opens at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport  Air Algérie Orders Five A330-900s and Two A350-1000s  IHG Signs Third Kimpton Hotel in Spain  Norse Atlantic Launches London Gatwick - Washington Dulles Flights  Marriott Signs World's Largest Aloft Hotel in Singapore  All Nippon Airways Expands Use of Sabre Slot Manager  IATA Reports Continued Decline in Global Air Cargo Demand  Accor Opens Mantra Hotel in Bunbury, Western Australia  DiDi Enterprise Solutions Partners Amadeus for China Expansion  Yannick Alléno's First Restaurant in London to Open 1 July 2023  World's First All-Inclusive Tivoli Resort Opens in Algarve, Portugal  Upgraded Credit Ratings for Pegasus Airlines  SAS Opens Reservations on Historic First Commercial Electric Flight  Qatar Airways Signs Deal with Shell for 3,000 Metric Tonnes of SAF at AMS  Qantas to Resume Flights to New York, USA in June  Singapore Airlines to Offer Unlimited Free WiFi in All Classes  Plaza Premium Opens First Airport Lounge in Japan  Carlos Rodriguez Appointed Senior Executive Chef of Two Luxury Resorts in Seychelles  Vietnam Airlines Completes SkyTeam's Sustainable Flight Challenge  Munich Airport Breaks Ground on 358-Room ibis Styles Hotel  IHG Breaks Ground on Even Hotel in Doral, Miami  Multi-Modal Cargo Hub to be Constructed at Noida Airport in Uttar Pradesh, India  Norse Opens Ticket Sales on London Gatwick - Miami Flights; Confirms End to FLL Service  Emirates' Complimentary 1 and 2-Night Hotel Stay Promotion Ends 11 June  Starlux Airlines to Launch Flights Between Taipei and Clark, Philippines  Qantas Unveils Details of Group Strategy Through 2030  Asia Pacific Airlines Report 198.9% Increase in RPK  Hyatt Expands Inclusive Collection with Adults-Only Impression by Secrets Brand  Stéphane Gras Returns to USA as GM of Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco  Dusit Opens Second Asai Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand  AirAsia Aiming to Establish Fuzhou Airport as a Gateway Hub for Southeast Asia  Textron Expands Partnership with Absolute Aviation  Boeing Phantom Works Begins Construction of 47,500 sqft ACC in St. Louis, Missouri  Lancashire Cricket Helps Youngsters in UAE Improve Their Game  Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines Explore Joint Venture  Wyndham Signs Two Hotels in Bangkok, Thailand  Norse Atlantic Launches Flights to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale from London Gatwick  Eve Air Mobility to Build First Full-Scale eVTOL Prototype in H2 2023  ITA Airways Takes Delivery of First Airbus A330neo  Dassault Business Jets to Feature Honeywell's Cabin Sentinel  AC Hotel by Marriott Opens in St. Julian's, Malta  Fiji Airways to Increase Flights to Hong Kong  Qantas to Bid Farewell to Boeing 717 VH-NXI Named Blue Mountains  Boeing Signs P-8A Poseidon MOU with ST Engineering  PPHG Opens Two Hotels in Same Skyscraper in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan  Holiday Inn Club Vacations Buys Four Royal Resorts in Mexico  Air Corporate Orders 43 Airbus Helicopters  British Airways Begins Phased Rollout of New Uniforms  United Airlines to Expand Services at Denver Hub  Air Canada Adds More Sun to Winter Schedule  Honeywell Partners PT Dirgantara Indonesia on Philippine Air Force NC212i Program  Korean Air Celebrates Earning Lithium Battery CEIV Certification from IATA  Rolls-Royce Expands Business Aviation Solutions with CorporateCare Flex  Embraer Appoints Frederico Lemos as CCO - Defense & Security  Malaysia's SKS Airways to Lease Ten E195-E2s; Signs Services Deal with Embraer  Mandarin Oriental Signs Residential Project in Madrid, Spain  Heekyung Chung Moves to Vietnam as DOSM of Hyatt Regency Danang  Hong Kong Airlines to Launch Flights to Nagoya, Japan  Scoot to Add Nine E190-E2 Aircraft to Fleet  CAE to Open 8,000 sqm Business Aviation Training Centre in Vienna, Austria  Minor Opens Eighth Anantara Hotel in Europe  Marriott Bonvoy Launches Two-Way Points Exchange with FFPs of ANA and JAL  Turkish Airlines Extends Contract for Accelya's Industry Insights Solution  Thai Airways Signs SAF-Related MOU with Bangchak  Mandarin Oriental Signs Hotel and Residences in Athens, Greece  Living With One Eye - Six Years On by Steven Howard  Seoul's Yellow Balloon Tour to Upgrade Services with Sabre Partnership  Solomon Islands Lifts All COVID19-Related Travel Restrictions  Renaissance Hotel Opens in Porto, Portugal  Aruba Certifies ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia to Maintain Several Aircraft Types  Honeywell Appoints Galaxy Aerospace as an Authorised Avionics Dealer  St. Regis Hotel Opens in Chicago, USA  IndiGo to Expand Domestic Services from the Wine Capital of India, Nashik  Outrigger to Buy Two Hotels in Maui, Hawaii  Cebu Pacific Resumes Laoag - Manila Flights  Marriott Appoints Brian Povinelli as SVP Global Head of Marketing and Brand  Hyatt Signs Second Thompson Hotel in California, USA  Air New Zealand's New Amenity Kits Feature Skincare Inspired by Traditional Maori Practices  Birmingham Airport Partners Smiths Detection for Security Screening Upgrade  Jetstar Takes Delivery of 7th A321neo LR; Changes Check-In and Bag Drop Times  Emirates Expands Free Inflight Connectivity  Doug Parker Joins Qantas Board  Etihad Airways to Launch Flights to Osaka, Japan  Saudia Partners Accenture for Digital Transformation  Sheraton Hotel Opens in Kagoshima, Japan  IndiGo to Expand Kolkata Network; Launch Bangkok Flights in June  Air Canada to Launch Flights Between Toronto and Yellowknife  InterContinental Danang Builds Bridges for Red-Shanked Douc Langurs  Vietnam Airlines Launches Hanoi - Mumbai Flights  Hong Kong Airport Handled 3.1 Million Passengers in April  Korean Air Employees Make a Difference in Chitwan, Nepal  Qatar Airways Signs Codeshare Agreement with Air Seychelles  Boeing Business Jets Sells Two BBJ 787-8s and a BBJ 737-7  Argentina Wins Rugby Sevens Cup Title in London; New Zealand Crowned Champions  IndiGo to Expand Network with New Direct Flights to Middle East  Jagdeep Thakral Moves to Oman as GM of dusitD2 Naseem Resort Jabal Akhdar  Royal Jordanian to Expand Fleet with Eight Embraer E2 Aircraft  Air Canada Installs Air Quality Sensors from IAGOS on an A330  Qantas to Lease Two Finnair A330s  American Airlines Signs 10-Year Use and Lease Agreement with DFW  airasia shop Expands Duty Free Options with Dufry  Songtsam Partners Xiamen Airlines to Promote Tourism to Yunnan, China  Air Astana Celebrates 21st Anniversary; Targets 8.5 Million Passengers in 2023  Elbit Systems to Supply 20 PULS Artillery Rocket Systems to Royal Netherlands Army  India's Aviation Market - Interview with Roshan Mendis, EVP / CCO of Sabre Travel Solutions  Ascott Appoints Two Vice Presidents of Business Development  Minor Hotels Partners Saudi Arabia's Tourism Development Fund  Air Canada Signs Codeshare Agreement with flydubai  IHG Signs MDA with Tashyid for 12 Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Saudi Arabia  Chiva-Som Wellness Resort in Thailand Launches Personalised Supplements Service  Accor Signs New-Build Novotel Hotel in Box Hill, Melbourne  Paris Saint-Germain Football Players Make Dreams Come True at Parc des Princes  Swiss-Belhotel Joins airasia SuperApp's OTA  Hellenic Air Force Takes Delivery of First Two M-346 Training Aircraft  AirAsia Malaysia Launches Flights Between Kuala Lumpur and Kertajati in West Java, Indonesia  Finnair Makes Major Changes to Baggage Restrictions; Launches Superlight Tickets  Plugo to Install EV Charging Stations at Marriott Hotels in Japan  Forward Bookings Show Peak Northern Summer Holiday Season Up 35% on 2022  SITA Reports Increase in Mishandled Baggage  Jewar Airport in Uttar Pradesh, India Signs PPS Agreement with Amadeus  Two Senior Appointments at Mandarin Oriental  India's Star Air Begins Commercial Flights with First E175 Aircraft  Savills Reports Strong Growth in Hotel ADR for Most Cities in Australia  Skyservice Business Aviation Opens FBO at Napa County Airport in California, USA  Hong Kong Rowing Association Celebrates Opening of Major Extension in Sha Tin  Embraer Showcases Short Runway Capability of E190-E2 in South Korea  Cathay Pacific Offering 5,590 Free Tickets to Residents of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and UAE  IHG Signs Two Hotels in Cairo, Egypt  Hong Kong Disneyland Reports Record-High Local Attendance and Annual Pass Membership  China Airlines to Operate First Passenger-Carrying Flight Using SAF  Singapore Festival of Football Attracts Top European Teams  French DGA Tests Airbus VSR700 Unmanned Aerial System at Sea  IHG Opens InterContinental Hotel in Rome, Italy  BP Completes US$1.3 Billion Acquisition of TravelCenters of America  Yotel Signs First Hotel in Thailand  AirAsia Malaysia to Launch Three New Routes to China  China Airlines to Launch Flights Between Kaohsiung and Seoul (Gimpo) in July  MasterCard Publishes Travel Industry Trends 2023 Report  Pictures from Miss International Queen 2022 in Pattaya, Thailand  HD Video Interviews from Miss International Queen 2022 in Pattaya, Thailand  HD Videos and Interviews  Podcasts from HD Video Interviews  RSS Feed - Travel Industry News  Ticker - Travel Industry News  Travel Industry News Archives  Travel Trade Shows  High-Res Picture Galleries  Travel News Asia - Latest Travel Industry News 

Subscribe to our Travel Industry News RSS Feed Travel Industry News RSS Feed from TravelNewsAsia.com. To do that in Outlook, right-click the RSS Feeds folder, select Add a New RSS Feed, enter the URL of our RSS Feed which is: https://www.travelnewsasia.com/travelnews.xml and click Add. The feed can also be used to add the headlines to your website or channel via a customisable applet. Have questions? Please read our Travel News FAQ. Thank you.

     
Advertising
Advertising
Copyright © 1997-2023 TravelNewsAsia.com