Hong Kong Disneyland and Urban Tourism
Hong Kong was a former British colony until it was returned to mainland China in 1997. Hong Kong then became one of the special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China. The other one is Macau. Hong Kong is one of the major financial centers in the world and its currency is one of the most traded in the world( Hong Kong, Wikipedia encyclopedia,2011). The country is also famous for its tourism perks. They had 2.1 million visitors in 2005 where it earned million in Hong Kong dollars in an overnight stay(city mayors: urban tourism, date not available). Because Hong Kong had been under British rule for many years, the fusion of the East and West cultures are exemplified here.
Urban tourism is a means to reenergize or regenerate a place for potential growth. It helps increase the importance of the central place(Dictionary.com,2011). More people now live in urban cities which make these places the new sites of civilization. The centre for arts, trade and commerce and finance has transferred to these places (UNWTO,2010). Countries around the world have sought to modernize their cities and provinces in the realization that along with these developments are the perks of tourism and the socio-cultural and economic profits it can generate. These developments of course, include attractions that could entice visitors to come and visit. Europe’s historical past and its well-maintained architecture lure tourists all year round. But of course, the most favoured destination, specially among children, is the Disneyland.
Hong Kong Disneyland is located at Penny Bay, Launtan Island which is basically a reclaimed land. It is the first theme park inside Hong Kong Disneyland Resort which is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks. It was officially inaugurated and opened to the public on September 12, 2005. Disneyland adhered to Chinese culture, including feng shui ‘to avoid cultural backlash’ (Hong Kong Disneyland, Wikipedia encyclopedia, 2011). The park’s staffs are multilingual and its maps made use of’ traditional and simplified Chinese as well as English, French and Japanese’(Hong Kong Disneyland, Wikipedia encycopedia, 2011). It also has two hotels, and retail, dining and entertainment facilities(Ho Chun On,pg 19,2006). The park has four themed areas. They are the Main Street ,USA, Fantasyland and Tomorrow land (Hong Kong Disneyland,Wikipedia,2011).
Hong Kong Disneyland made the city-state reposition itself as a major tourist destination but although urban tourism has brought socio-cultural and economic change in Hong Kong, environmental concerns have cropped up among the visitors. The more focus is given in urbanization, the more ecological concern is raised. Hence, nature tourism will be the next big thing and this might cause serious denigration to nature as ‘farmlands, countryside and wilderness’ will be infiltrated(C.Y.Jim,2000). A real commitment between the government and the different sectors is pivotal in managing the tourism sustainability of Hong Kong. Identifying which system still work or need to be improved and what new programs are to be implemented are important without damaging the environment, heritage resources and culture of the city(China News Agency,2005).
Hong Kong is a known place for sightseeing and a haven for shoppers. Transportation is fairly easy as taxis are available. Hong Kong is also visited for the food and going to Hong Kong Disneyland is a pleasant trek down memory lane(Average Traveler,2011). For some mainland Chinese, it is time for a revisit. But more information drive on new features of travel attraction should be made more highlighted for second or third time travellers(Hsu,C. and Huang, S.,2011). On its pre-opening day, Disney committed some faux pas with big-named celebrities and its staff was accused of arrogance(Maureen Fan,2006). The park is small with only sixteen attractions(Michael Schumann,2006). Overcrowding was also the problem then. However, Disneyland worked on the development of the park and its employees to be more customer-friendly and has even won awards including a golden award for outstanding customer service from the Hong Kong Association for Customer Service Excellence(PATA,2010).
Richard Butler had proposed the model of the lifecycle of tourist destinations. It begins with exploration as the place is unknown then followed by development as basic amenities and services are improved with the arrival of visitors. Stagnation occurs when involve social and environmental issues come up and visitors become familiar with the place they go to(Destination Recovery Services,2011). Decline follows then depending on the situation, rejuvenation follows. Hong Kong Disneyland’s tourism sustainability, hence, its destination life cycle, lie in the maintenance of the present destination and’ prevent the onset of decline’ and think of ways of furthering the improvement of the park( Ho Chun On, pg 19,2006). Hong Kong Disneyland started on its Phase 2 development and well on its way to the third. How these improvements will affect Hong Kong’s urban tourism remain to be seen.
Reference
Wikipedia encyclopedia,2011.Hong Kong Disneyland.[online] Wikipedia. Available at:<http://en.wikipedia.org/walt/Disneyland.[accessed date June 30,2011).
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment