A second U.S. theme park could be built in Hong Kong in addition to Disneyland which is scheduled to open late next year, local newspapers reported Wednesday.
Financial Secretary Henry Tang said Disneyland won't be able to accommodate the expected massive visitor numbers and officials want an alternative theme park for younger customers, newspapers reported.
"If people between their teens and 30s who don't have families go to Disneyland with their friends, after once or twice, they might not want to go there every time," Tang was quoted as saying in the Sing Tao Daily.
Tang said the government is approaching three U.S. theme park companies about coming to Hong Kong: Six Flags Inc., Universal Studios, and Warner Bros. Studios, a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., the report said.
Universal Studios is run by NBC Universal, which is controlled by U.S. broadcaster NBC's parent, General Electric Co.
Tang's press secretary and Hong Kong Disneyland did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.
The idea of a second theme park is part of a development plan for Hong Kong's largest outlying island of Lantau, where Disneyland is also being built, Ming Pao Daily News reported.
Other possible projects include a logistics park, a Formula Three racing track, an eco-tourism center, a golf resort and an exhibition center, the report said.
Hong Kong Disneyland is a joint venture between the local government and The Walt Disney Co. But its US$3.5 billion (euro 2.74 billion) price tag is largely being shouldered by local taxpayers and critics have questioned whether the territory got a good deal.
The newspaper reports did not detail how a second theme park would be financed.
