It’s not all about Disney: Hong Kong has a wealth of tourist attractions, and we must make the most of them

Disney finally opened a US$5.5 billion theme park in Shanghai in June. It is three times the size of Hong Kong Disneyland and has more attractions. The theme park is forecast to attract 15 million visitors in the first year, compared to 6.8 million visitors received by Hong Kong Disneyland last year.

The Shanghai Disney resort has unsettled the tourism industry in Hong Kong. Some in the industry see it as a threat because mainland visitors won’t need to come to Hong Kong to experience the magical kingdom of Disney. Some even point out that Hong Kong’s tourism industry is at risk because there aren’t any new or upcoming tourism attractions in the foreseeable future, while more and more attractions will be launched on the mainland in the next decade. It is reported that at least 20 new theme parks are scheduled to open on the mainland this year.

To me, Shanghai Disneyland isn’t really a threat. The market for Shanghai Disneyland differs from our Disneyland, and Shanghai faces its own challenges. Wanda Group chairman Wang Jianlin has said that the admission fees for the Shanghai Disneyland resort are too high, and the cold and damp winters of Shanghai will take their toll on visitor numbers.

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Is our tourist industry in decline? I admit we could still do more for our tourist industry. As the old Chinese saying goes, if one fails to keep moving forward, one is bound to fall behind. We must continue to look for ways to sustain the growth of our tourism industry, which is one of the key pillars of our economy.