The opening of Hong Kong's Disneyland in September was supposed to be a boon for local travel agencies, but many agents say they are hesitant to sell tickets to the amusement park due to strict regulations, and a huge deposit demanded by park operators.

While shanghai International Travel Service is currently accepting reservations for the first tour group to visit the amusement park, which is scheduled to open on September 12, others say they are worried selling Disney tours will be risky and unprofitable.

Shanghai international's three-day tour, which costs 3,080 yuan (US$371), includes one day at the amusement park and one night at Disney's Hollywood Hotel.

All members of the tour must confirm they will make the trip before July 27 and put down a 1,500 yuan deposit, which they will lose if they later drop out.

"We've received many calls inquiring about the tour," said a salesman with the Shanghai International. "Most calls are from companies that intend to offer the tour to their clients as a bonus. Few individual tourists have called."

Wu Derong, general manager of the outbound department of Shanghai CYTS Tours Corporation, said Disneyland had begun meeting with local agencies, and is expected to grant two or three of them the right to sell tickets to the park and book rooms in its hotel.

The appointed dealers won't be offered any discount on park admission tickets, which cost HK$295 (US$38) for adults during the week and HK$350 on weekends, unless they book rooms in the park's hotel, he said. The cheapest rooms in the hotel go for HK$1,000 a night.

Dealers also must pay a 1 million yuan deposit, which they will lose if they don't inform the park about changes to reservations at least 30 days in advance.

"It is unprecedented for a tourist site to place so many requirements on travel agencies," Wu said. "To accept all of them is risky, since we don't know if Disneyland tickets will sell well."

The park will limit the number of visitors it accepts each day to between 30,000 and 35,000, so it wants to prevent companies from booking tickets and then canceling them at the last minute, travel agents explained.

(Shanghai Daily June 7, 2005)