All of the 16,000 tickets for the opening day of Hong Kong Disneyland have been sold out and the park will open to the public from 1:00 p.m. (0300 GMT) on Sept. 12, said Eva Cheng, Hong Kong commissioner for Tourism in HK Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference for arrangements of Hong Kong Disneyland's opening, she said the Transport Department, Immigration Department, Police and some other government departments have made full preparations for the smooth opening of Hong Kong Disneyland.

The opening of Hong Kong Disneyland is expected to turn on a new page of Hong Kong tourism, with focus on family tourists, she said.

Simon Peh, assistant director of Immigration Department, said as one thirds of the Hong Kong Disneyland visitors are expected to come from the Chinese mainland, the Immigration Department is ready to dispatch more staff members to various cross-border check points during the opening day and other holidays.

He suggested Chinese mainland passengers arrive in Hong Kong via Lo Wu Check Point, Hong Kong's largest cross boundary check point with 233 clearance counters.

Apart from the six franchised bus routes that operate to and from Hong Kong Disneyland as of Aug. 16, 60 additional quotas for cross-boundary coach services to and from Hong Kong Disneyland via Lok Ma Chau Control Point will become operational from Sept. 12.

In addition, the Kwoloon-Canton Railway Corporation will also operate a "rail-bus" service for mainland visitors to travel between the Lo Wu Check Point and Hong Kong Disneyland via Sheung Shui Station from Sept. 12.

Cheng said, a sample survey made among 3,000 Guangdong citizens in August showed that over half of the people, who are ready to visit Hong Kong in September and October, plan to visit Hong Kong Disneyland.

To receive more tourists, the total number of hotel rooms will be increased from 40,000 at the end of last year to about 54,000 at the end of 2006, she added.

Source: Xinhua