According to various Local news, Mickey and Minnie would be in Golden Costume to welcome Mainland Tourists during the upcoming May Golden Week.
There will also be chinese subtitles available for "Festival of the lion king" and "Golden Mickey" shows at Hong Kong Disneyland during May Golden Week.
It is estimated that there might be around 500,000 mainland tourists to Hong Kong during the May Golden week, about 10% increase over same period last year.
Photos?
When's the May Golden Week? Definitely the days to avoid HKDL if you can! My guess is that it's going to be a madhouse like during New Years.
1st Week of May is the Golden Week.
May Day arrivals expected to drop
The government and Tourism Board have estimated that fewer than half a million mainlanders will visit Hong Kong during the May Day holiday week starting tomorrow.
Wendy Leung
Friday, April 28, 2006
The government and Tourism Board have estimated that fewer than half a million mainlanders will visit Hong Kong during the May Day holiday week starting tomorrow.
Officials put the reduced expectations down to the fact that the Lunar New Year celebrations lasted into late February while mainland students are now preparing for mid-year exams.
However, Hong Kong Tourism Board director Becky Ip Chin-tak said Thursday that instead of large influxes of tourists at certain dates, the board's current strategy is to create more "Golden Weeks" to entice mainlanders to cross the border more frequently.
"For example, many women on the mainland take time off on International Women's Day so we should aim special travel packages at them during that time," Ip said.
The board estimates that only around 420,000 mainlanders can be expected during the coming Golden Week, with about 60 percent traveling on individual permits and about 10 percent in tour groups.
Individual visitors last year spent an average of around HK$1,600 a day, about double that spent by each member of a tour group, according to Ip. "The more affluent tourists come on more personalized tours," she added.
In the past, mainlanders usually spent their holidays visiting The Peak and Ocean Park, but they now have more choices such as Disneyland, Ngong Ping 360, the Big Buddha on Lantau and seafood trips to Lamma Island, Ip said.
More than 70 percent of the individual visitors come from Guangdong province.
"So, we are now promoting one day return tours to people in Guangdong province. It's cheaper than trips to Southeast Asian countries and this means they can also travel more frequently," Ip said.
One-day trips are becoming the norm, with one-third of all mainland visitors last year spending only a day in Hong Kong, Ip said.
The central government recently extended its individual travel permits to more cities.
The scheme, which began in 2002 with 19 cities, mainly in Guangdong province, has now been extended to 81 cities with a combined population of more than 500 million, according to board figures.
While Hong Kong remains the most popular choice, more and more mainlanders are traveling to Macau, Thailand, Singapore, Korea and Australia, Ip said. "So, we have to continue to promote Hong Kong on the mainland and provide them with the most updated travel information and tourist spots."
Source : HK Standard News
Source : Mingpaonews
Minnie looks great.
Is a "Golden Week" an official holiday? Because the story makes it sound like the HK government just wants to make up more holidays for continued tourism boosts with no cultural, historical, or sentimental reason to do so.
Golden Week is a full week of Public Holidays in Mainland China but not in Hong Kong. Only 1st May is a public holiday in Hong Kong. Since this year 1st of May falls on a Monday, so this coming weekend is long weekend here in Hong Kong. By the way, 5th May is also a public holiday in HK, so we got 2 long weekends in a roll.Originally Posted by MickeyMania
Yes......because of the $$$$$ generated from Mainland Tourists as well as overseas Tourists, so Tourism is highly regarded as BIG $$$$ generator.
Last edited by HongKongDisneyland; 04-28-2006 at 12:14 AM.
Source: eTravelblackboardHong Kong’s new culture & heritage celebration showcases four traditional local festivals
To showcase Hong Kong’s unique culture and heritage to global visitors during 2006 Discover Hong Kong Year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will stage a brand new Mega Event – the Culture & Heritage Celebration – this month. For the first time, the HKTB will simultaneously promote four traditional Chinese festivals and related activities across the city. To highlight the various elements of these festivals and enable visitors to experience the colourful celebrations, the HKTB will organise a “Temple Fair” beside the Central Ferry Piers, adding dramatic contrasts of sights and sounds to modern Hong Kong.
Running between 20 April and 7 May, the Culture & Heritage Celebration will promote festivities surrounding the Birthdays of Tin Hau, the Lord Buddha and Tam Kung, as well as the famous Cheung Chau Bun Festival. These include the “Bathing Buddha” Ceremony in Po Lin Monastery, the street procession, bun scrambling competition and carnival on Cheung Chau Island, and the lion, dragon and fa pau (floral paper offerings) parades in various districts.
Colourful Temple Fair at Central Ferry Piers
To highlight the vibrant celebrations of these festivals, the HKTB will turn the Central Ferry Piers into a giant Temple Fair during the Mega Event period. As well as erecting a series of pai lau and 50-feet tall replicas of the Cheung Chau bun towers, traditional lanterns will adorn two major walkways. The Temple Fair will comprise of three sections, namely the Blessing, Wishing and Performance Zones, each featuring different festive decorations, such as 20-feet high fa pau, a Buddha statue from Po Lin Monastery, Buddha bathing stand, fortune-telling corners, lanterns with the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, as well as a traditional temple theatre constructed from bamboo.
At the Temple Fair, visitors and local residents will be able to practise age-old customs, such as making the Chinese white buns of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, participating in the “Bathing Buddha” ceremony, or creating traditional handicrafts. They can also listen to myths and legends of the festivals from experts, and enjoy cultural performances to acquire greater knowledge of the festivals. As the Temple Fair is located in the city’s central business district and at the heart of Hong Kong’s transportation network, visitors can easily travel to other districts or the outlying islands to join the local celebrations.
Following the Culture and Heritage Celebration, the HKTB will organise another Mega Event themed around traditional Chinese festivals – the Mid Autumn Lantern Celebration – in September. As well as promoting Hong Kong’s cultural and heritage appeal, this Mega Event will allow visitors to immerse in a special and unique cultural experience in 2006 Discover Hong Kong Year.
Last edited by HongKongDisneyland; 04-28-2006 at 12:49 AM.
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