Hong Kong Disneyland sharpens up its offering as rivals bloom and tourist numbers fall
The park is contending with falling tourist numbers and competition in bloom, but its managing director says pie big enough for all
A decade on from the launch of Disney's controversial joint venture with the Hong Kong government, the theme park is at a crossroads.
While it has overcome initial setbacks to enjoy a run of success, analysts are not forecasting a happily-ever-after story, at least in the foreseeable future.
As regional competition heats up, Hong Kong's tourism and retail sectors are slowing down on the back of the strong Hong Kong dollar, and the park's managing director Andrew Kam Min-ho says the attraction has been forced to adjust its strategy and beef up its product offering to entice visitors.
"We face challenges," Kam said.
A Shanghai Disney park three times the size of Hong Kong's opens next spring, while on the artificial island of Hengqin , near Macau, the biggest theme park in Asia - dubbed the "Monte Carlo of the East" - is under way.
Timeline: Hong Kong Disneyland's long and troubled history before rekindling the magic
Hong Kong Disneyland ranked No 6 among theme parks in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of visitor numbers last year, down from fifth in 2013, according to a survey by architecture and construction firm AECOM.
