Despite initial teething issues - long queues, expensive food - Shanghai Disney Resort still managed to attract almost as many visitors in its first six months of operation as its sister park in Hong Kong did in a whole year.
Success of Shanghai Disney Resort
The South China Morning Post reports that around5.6 million people attended Shanghai Disney Resort in the second 6 months of 2016.This works out as approximately 30, 000 a dayand is ahead of analysts' previous estimates.In comparison, Hong Kong Disneyland had6.8 million visitors in 2015.
He said, “The number of 5.6 million is on par with the Disneyland in Japan. Itis nearly equivalent to the full-year visitor number for the Hong Kong counterpart.”
Fan also added that an independent survey had revealed that 80%of visitors were satisfied with the park’s attractions and services.
Yang Xiongisthe mayor of Shanghai.He said the launch and success of Shanghai Disney resort was one of the city’s major achievementsin 2016.
Growth of Shanghai and the YRD
The resort's primetargetis thehuge number of people - 330 million-that livewithin a three-hour drive of the park. Surveys have shown that 27% of visitors are from Shanghai whilst a further 53% are from the widerYangtze River Delta (YRD) region.
The YRDcomprises6 core cities. These areShanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, and Ningbo. They havea combinedpopulation of approximately 65million.An economic powerhouse, the region accounts for 20% of China's GDPand is responsible for one third of its imports and exports.
Yang said the cityhas ambitious plans.“Shanghai will further liberalise the green bond market. It will drive the growth of the financial technology sector with improvements to the regulatory system. It will alsocomplete the construction of the fourth-phase expansion of the Yangshan deep-water port.”
Image credit : Disney
Shanghai Disney riding high and on track to overtake Hong Kong ‘rival’ | South China Morning Post
