The HKTA was the most persistent and influential single actor who pushed
so hard their pet proposal ofbuilding a theme park to address the specific problem of
the continuous downturn in tourism industry using the proposal developed in 1995.
This clearly minored the concept ofthe garbage can model in which various kinds of
problems and solutions are dumped by participants as they are generated.38 After
recognizing the problem in the slump in tourism, other stakeholders in the industry
alsojoined hands to push the government to build the Disneyland theme park with the
hope to revitalize the industry.
The Association of Retailers and Tourism Servis
also believed that Disneyland would attract additional visitors to Hong Kong who
would spend more money. At the same time, the project would generate more
business and job opportunities in retail and restaurant business. Other organizations
in the trade like the Hong Kong Hotels Association and the Joint Council ofthe Travel
Industry of Hong Kong also lent their support to the Disneyland project. The Hong
Kong Construction Jiidustiy Employees General Union also believed that the
47
Agenda Setting - The Disneyland Project
Disneyland project could bring many job opportunities to the construction industry.
The Financial Secretary disclosed in his i 998-99 Budget Speech that negotiations had
been going on with the Walt Disney on the possibility of building a theme park in
Hong Kong for the first time. He assured the public that the government was
determined to bring the project to fruition only if mutually acceptable terms could be
agreed. Then in the 1999 Policy Speech, the Chief Executive further disclosed that
negotiations with Walt Disney were still in progress and that the target was to
complete the negotiation before end of October in 1999. On 2 November 1999, the
Chief Executive officially announced that agreement had been reached with Walt
Disney to build a Disneyland theme park in Hong Kong scheduled for completion by
2005.