Government forecasts supporting the matched funding of Hong Kong Disneyland’s expansion plans justify the investment in the theme park and the cross-border bridge linking to Macau and Zhuhai with a prediction of 9.5 million visitors a year by 2025 (40 per cent increase on 2015).
However the South China Morning Post points to sources of increasing competition in the region which may adversely affect these figures:
- At least 10 theme parks are scheduled to open in the region between next year and 2020.
- 21 theme parks opened in China last year alone (currently there are around 300 theme parks in China)
- Disneyland Shanghai opened in June 2016
- Universal Studios Beijing is set to open in 2020
Meanwhile The Standard reports that Michael Tien from the New People’s Party, has called for the HK$5.8 billion that the Hong Kong government is proposing to invest in the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland to be spent on bringing in a new theme park to create competition. Tien says that the Walt Disney Company should cover the entire cost of their ambitious project.
https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news.php?id=82763
