Hong Kong Disneyland is in the final stages of completing its wholesale contracts with major overseas agents in addition to local inbound operators, among whom about 50 percent are Hong Kong-based agents, an executive of the theme park said Wednesday.

Roy Tan Hardy, HK Disneyland Vice President of Marketing and Sales, gave a detailed explanation about its ticket distribution channels and its plans for establishing a closer working relationship with travel agents at a briefing.

He said Hong Kong Disneyland will provide a full list of overseas wholesale agents in Hong Kong, Chinese mainland and other countries once the contracting process is completed.

Retail travel agents will also be provided with access to theme park ticket inventory when making group bookings for 25 persons or above during weekdays and non-peak days. Special group commission will be provided.

For hotel reservations, bona fide travel agents who book a hotel room for a guest at either the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel or Disney's Hollywood Hotel, or purchase park tickets as part of their hotel stay, will also receive special commission.

Hong Kong Disneyland expects its first year attendance to comprise one-third local residents, one-third mainland Chinese guests, and the remainder from countries around the world.

To further strengthen its travel industry relationship, Hong Kong Disneyland also announced the launch of a dedicated travel agent hotline that has been designed specifically to handle trade inquiries and take bookings.

The hotline number - 18308000 - will operate seven days per week from 9 am to 6 pm. It will initially be available to travel trade in Hong Kong before being rolled out overseas as a toll-free number at a later stage.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2005)