With only seven days left before the formal opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong is being soaked in an atmosphere of jubilance.

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Henry Tang has already described the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland as an important milestone for Hong Kong's economic and tourism development.

And celebrities from Hong Kong commerce and industry sectors also believed that the Hong Kong Disneyland will give a strong boost to tourism related sectors as retail, hotel and property, besides the tourism industry itself.

The opening of the theme park is widely viewed as one of the most important events in Hong Kong this year.

According to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government press release Saturday night, Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong will open Hong Kong Disneyland on Sept. 12 during his three-day visit to Hong Kong from Sept. 10 to 12.

Henry Tang has pledged earlier that detailed arrangements and contingency plans have been made to ensure all guests have an enjoyable time at Hong Kong Disneyland.

He estimated that though the building of Hong Kong Disneyland had cost 3.5 billion US dollars, the theme park and the resort will bring Hong Kong at least 148 billion US dollars in the first 40 years of its opening.

Even the project's building process offered 14,000 job opportunities and is expected to offer 18,000 direct or indirect job opportunities just after Hong Kong Disneyland's opening and an additional 18,000 posts are expected to be created for Hong Kong in the coming years.

Hong Kong Disneyland is a joint venture between Walt Disney Company and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. HKSAR government, taking a share of 53 percent, is in charge of the infrastructure building, which includes the sea reclamation, pipeline arrangement, highway building and some other sub-projects while Walt Disney takes a share of 47 percent.

Following the completion of the first construction phase of the Hong Kong Disneyland by HKSAR government, construction of the theme park and resorts started in January 2003 and is scheduled for opening on Sept. 12. A three-day serial celebration ceremony will start from Sept. 10.

Don Ronbinson, group managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland estimated that Hong Kong Disneyland is expected to receive at least 5.6 million tourists in the first year of its opening, about one third of the visitors are expected to be Hong Kong citizens and another one third from the Chinese mainland and the rest from the Asia Pacific market.

He said apart from the targeted household visitors, Hong Kong Disneyland is also eyeing the business passengers. Two hotels with1,000 guest rooms and convention halls have been built in the resort for receiving tourists.

He said there is plenty room for further expansion of either the existing hotels or building new hotels, adding the expansion plans will depend on the market demand.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2005)