2021-02-10
Christina Chen
Vice President of Marketing Department, Shanghai Disney Resort
Abstract: Since Disney’s operation in China, it has always adhered to the concept of healthy tourism and sustainable development. It is committed to becoming an important community partner and active corporate citizen of Shanghai and China while constantly creating high-quality products to create unique experiences for visitors.
2020 is an extraordinary year. The global outbreak of COVID-19 has brought great challenges to all walks of life. Tourism, which is highly relevant to people and the environment, has undoubtedly been seriously affected and impacted. Thanks to China’s successful control of the epidemic and the recovery of the domestic economy, this extremely resilient industry is recovering its vitality and embracing new opportunities gradually. In the post-epidemic era, how mature tourism companies can quickly come back on track, and how newcomers can have a firm footing in the company and grow steadily are all inseparable from a healthy and sustainable tourism ecosystem. How China’s tourism industry should turn the misfortunes into opportunities and build a tourism ecosystem by gathering and opening up all the links of the whole industry’s value chain upstream and downstream to accelerate its transformation and enhancement is also the focus of attention of our industry’s leaders. The creation and promotion of a healthy tourism mechanism contributes to the sustainable development of a tourism ecosystem.
As the first Disney resort in mainland China, Shanghai Disney Resort is not only dedicated to creating a unique experience for visitors, but also committed to becoming an important community partner and active corporate citizen of Shanghai and China as a whole. Today, I would like to share with you some experiences on the establishment of the healthy tourism development mechanism of Shanghai Disney Resort in hopes of sharing a way to a sustainable development for our peers in China’s tourism industry.
Prioritize on putting tourists first by constantly creating high-quality experiences and products based on consumer needs.
The construction of a sustainable tourism ecosystem cannot be separated from the continuous optimization and upgrading of visitors’ experience. Shanghai Disney Resort actively listens to customer feedback, creates a wealth of product choices and introduces new services to cater to the needs of visitors. It offers consumers a continuous new economy through innovative concepts and cutting-edge technologies.
Today, people have a stronger and more urgent need to pursue a high-quality life. We believe and always advocate that happiness has no bearing on age, and childlike innocence remains the same at all times. We are dedicated to creating surprises and wonderful experiences for visitors of all ages. Shanghai Disney Resort is an excellent place for people to realize their yearning for a better life. It has created a variety of scenic spots and entertainment performances suitable for all ages. Moreover, it constantly improves, innovates and develops every entertainment detail, and continuously launches new and strongly appealing products, like the season card for the elderly launched on the recent Double Ninth Festival. The Resort enables everyone from children to the elderly get surprises and rekindle their childlike innocence.
We have been committed to creating the same magical experience for disabled tourists, so that they, like other tourists, can have unforgettable and beautiful memories with their families and friends. Based on global experiences and best practices, the Disney Resort has launched the Imagination Project to provide a full range of accessibility services and experiences for disabled visitors and cast members. The disabled visitors can enjoy amusement facilities and other facilities through various barrier-free facilities and services within the resort, for example, visitors in wheelchairs can join in the Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue Interactive Adventure without a transfer. On September 23, the International Day of Sign Languages, the resort has launched a Chinese sign language interpretation service for Train Float Parade of Mickey Fairy Tale, which is popular with tourists. When floats pass by, the touching lyrics sung by Disney friends are presented through professional Chinese sign language interpreters, allowing hearing-impaired tourists to enjoy the iconic entertainment performances of Shanghai Disney Resort.
We want to create new surprises for every visitor, so we also have a variety of seasonal and lunar New Year celebrations. The festivals, ranging from colorful spring and cool summer to carnival Halloween and romantic winter, enables visitors to enjoy endless fun and wonders. New Disney friends are constantly joining the resort, including Oul Mel, who came to Shanghai Disney this summer, and the Wasp and Ant-Man who made their debut this week. Their participation has brought a rich experience for visitors and fans alike.
The resort has also launched products and catering inspired by them, which are also loved and sought after by many fans across the country. In addition, the resort has successfully held several sessions of Disney Inspiration Run, allowing visitors to experience the unique Disney sports.
In order to continuously improve the experience of visitors, the Team Development Department and APP Operation Department of the resort are committed to providing them with a more intelligent, comfortable and convenient digital experience. During the prevention and control period of COVID-19, the resorts quickly implemented online reservation service, which is the responsibility that must be shouldered by Shanghai Disney under the long-term and normalized situation of the epidemic.
Prioritize on community caring and promoting regional economic growth by assuming social responsibilities.
Promoting growth and becoming an engine of economic growth is also an important mission of the tourism industry. As a landmark of Shanghai, a first-tier international city and a world-class tourist destination, Shanghai Disney Resort must spare no effort to support the development of Shanghai. In the city’s economic development, industrial transformation and upgrading, regional development, social drive, innovative practice, etc., the resort has played a significantly active role. We directly created more than 12,000 posts, spanning nearly 500 types of work, where the cast members started their fantastic work journey at Disney. In addition, based on experiences around the world, we estimate that each post will create 5 more indirect posts, providing abundant employment opportunities for local communities and even national talents.
Disney hopes that everyone will have the opportunity to work here and create a joyful experience for tourists. We also provide equal and inclusive work opportunities and environments for everyone, including people with disabilities. From the very beginning of the establishment of the resort, we have fully considered the work experience of disabled cast members from all aspects. What Shanghai Disney Resort wants to bring to every tourist and cast member the experience of equality, inclusiveness and accessibility.
There is no doubt that Disney stands for hope and happiness, and we look forward to using this concept to make a positive impact and change in our community. We have a long-term commitment to caring for children and their families in our community and hope to create magical Disney moments for more families in need. The Disney Fun House project was started at the opening of the resort. It has created themed game spaces for dozens of children’s hospitals across the country, making it possible for children receiving medical treatment and those in recovery feel the magic of Disney.
It is the corporate citizen responsibility of Shanghai Disney Resort to cultivate children’s safety awareness from an early age by popularizing all kinds of safety knowledge such as traffic and fire safety in clear and engaging ways.
Prioritize on caring for the environment and promoting sustainable development through innovative practices.
From the first moment to the last, Shanghai Disney Resort adheres to the concept of environmental protection and sustainable development, which is integrated in the entire process of design and construction of the resort, as well as on every stage of daily operations today. Adhering to the concept of encouraging and advocating children and families to get close to nature and sharing it, Shanghai Disney designed and built Wishing Star Park, a beautiful wetland for families to share the joys of nature. As an urban waterscape park open to the public for free, Wishing Star Park provides a rare platform for urban residents who have been living in an urban steel forest for a long time to get close to nature, experience nature, and care for nature.
Since 2015, we have successively discovered as many as 110 species of birds in Wishing Star Park, which have settled here or rested here. In April every year, various activities will be held in Shanghai Disney Resort. It has been proven that these measures have a great positive effect on the environmental protection awareness of visitors, cast members and society as a whole. In Wishing Star Park, visitors can have a good understanding of the diverse ecology and explore the mysteries of nature, thereby enhancing their sense of experience, participation and pleasure in all aspects.
In the past 5 years of operation, Shanghai Disney Resort understands that the essence of a healthy tourism season and sustainable development of the ecosystem is to manifest the corporate values, brand image and corporate culture in depth. This requires enterprises and industries to continue to practice innovation and development and implementing it in every detail. In the future, Shanghai Disney Resort will continue to work with local industries, communities and partners to deepen the healthy tourism system, create value and influence with higher quality, and realize a virtuous circle from the park to the community, thus pouring out all our enthusiasm to realize the high development of the entire tourism industry while creating unique surprises and experiences for every visitor.