CENTRAL: Cruisers originated from international markets, mainland China and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong domestic market made up 42% of arrivals, the mainland for 23%, and short- and long-haul international markets contributed 35%.
Since Kai Tak Cruise Terminal opened in 2013, Hong Kong has amassed a compound annual growth rate of 29% for ship calls and 47% for passenger throughput.
Lau noted Hong Kong last year scored homeporting operations for notable ships including Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas and Dream Cruises’ new World Dream, which was christened there and sails from Kai Tak Cruise Terminal year-round.
Lau also delivered details on opportunities resulting from Hong Kong’s new infrastructure developments, which will usher in a new era of fly, rail and cruise tourism. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will shorten the distance from most areas located in China’s populous western Pearl River Delta to within a three-hour commute, and journeys between Hong Kong and Zhuhai or Macau will be reduced to within an hour. Scheduled to open in 2018, the bridge will add convenience for mainland travelers to take a cruise from Hong Kong.
Another major infrastructure project that will positively impact the cruise sector is the building of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL). With the XRL, Hong Kong is poised to become part of China’s fast growing nationwide high-speed rail network, which spans 29 of the country’s 33 provincial-level administrative divisions. Visitors will be able to travel between Hong Kong and the mainland with unprecedented convenience and speed, opening opportunities for rail-cruise business.
‘Overall, Hong Kong has seen a remarkable performance in the cruise travel sector in the past few years,’ Lau said. ‘Hong Kong’s state-of-the-art cruise terminals and operational support, together with the diverse visitor experiences and ongoing development of new infrastructure,
