Photo taken on Sept. 12, 2023, shows staff working at a new themed land "World of Frozen" of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)
Hong Kong Disneyland broke a nine-year loss streak when it reported on Tuesday the highest annual attendance and net profit since the theme park opened in 2005, propelled by the return of Chinese tourists.
The park said net profit hit HK$838 million ($108 million) in the past fiscal year that ended in September, while revenue spiked 54 percent to $1.1 billion.
Attendance reached an all-time high of 7.7 million and per capita guest spending grew 28 percent.
"Hong Kong Disneyland Resorts delivered our strongest business performance in the resort's history... (and) remains a top tourism driver," managing director Michael Moriarty said in a media release.
Hong Kong's theme park, born out of a 1999 deal, is the smallest Disneyland in the world and struggled for years to gain a foothold before reaching profitability in the early 2010s.
It then faced stiff competition after Shanghai opened its own Disneyland in 2016 and losses mounted when the park was shut down for months during the coronavirus pandemic.
Attendance from local, mainland Chinese and international visitors all surpassed 2018 levels last year, the company said on Tuesday.
Local and mainland Chinese attendees each made up around 40 percent of guests, with the remainder coming from places such as the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.
The opening of a section modelled on the animated mega-hit "Frozen" in November 2023 "marked a significant milestone", the release said.
Hong Kong Disneyland is developing "Marvel-themed experiences" and will host events celebrating its 20th anniversary in June, it said.
