Various political
actors identified the problem as a lack of tourist attraction and proposed different
solutions including the building of a Disneyland theme park to reinvigorate the
industry. Subsequently, the government also realized the magnitude of the problem
and began to take a very proactive role in revitalizing tourism industry by putting the
issue onto the governmental agenda. In the second half of 1998, the Hong Kong
government had preliminary discussions with Walt Disney regarding the possibility of
constructing a fifth Disneyland theme park in Hong Kong. The formal negotiations
between the two parties started in February 1 999 and a formal agreement to build the
Hong Kong Disneyland theme park was signed in December the same year.