The new-look Peak Tower will provide dynamic shopping, dining, and entertainment with spectacular view of Hong Kong

The opening in September of Hong Kong Disneyland - built in less than six years, making it the fastest Disneyland ever erected worldwide - is expected to drive tourism growth over the coming years. Families visiting the Hong Kong Disneyland resort will be taken on a magical journey through three themed lands, a charming Main Street USA and two Disney-style hotels. A key attraction will be the Festival of the Lion King, celebrating a Disney storytelling at its best in a kingdom brimming with fun, wonder and adventure.

Other attractions set to open in 2005 include the 64-hectare Hong Kong Wetland Park, providing an integrated, themed education and recreation venue and a world-class ecotour facility. This will be followed by the launch of the Tung Chung Cable Car to Po Lin Monastery and the Giant Buddha, offering stunning views of the lush mountain scenery of Lantau Island. By 2007, the giant, 75m-tall Observation Wheel set high atop the Ocean Terminal Extension in Tsimshatsui will provide an unprecedented way to enjoy the spectacular Hong Kong skyline and harbour.

New look for traditional favourites

In further developments the Peak Tower, Hong Kong's leading tourist icon which draws nearly five million visitors a year, is to undergo a substantial revitalisation. The year long HK$100 million (US$13 million) makeover will create a dynamic "festival market" style shopping, dining and entertainment centre that is scheduled to open in February 2006.

Hong Kong's existing theme attraction Ocean Park is also undergoing a major refit, and the popular waterfront promenade at Stanley is being further improved and enhanced. Revamps are underway at the Central police station, Victoria Prison and former Central Magistracy and there is to be further beautification of the Tsimshatsui waterfront.

As latest figures show another strong month for Hong Kong tourism - October 2004 arrivals of 2,015,420 being the best ever figures for October - Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) executive director Clara Chong said that the industry's positive growth was now becoming clear. "We are comparing performance against previous records and still surpassing them," she said. "With a few exceptions that HKTB is addressing, we are no longer talking about recovery, but about strong organic growth."

And with a host of new hotels under development to cope with increasing demand - among them the largest Four Seasons Hotel in the world, due to open in mid-2005, the Mandarin Oriental's new boutique hotel and the confirmed return of the Regent Hotel - Hong Kong is well positioned to welcome business and leisure tourists well into the future. 

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