Passengers line up for taxis at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on Aug 9, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong tourism industry insiders expressed support for the special administrative region government’s move to improve the transportation network for cruise passengers, and called for more facilitation initiatives to aid the industry’s full recovery.

Carrying more than 5,600 passengers, the high-end cruise ship Spectrum of the Seas arrived in the SAR on Friday for the first time since anti-pandemic measures were lifted. The Hong Kong Tourism Board held a welcome ceremony at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.

To address the problem, the government will launch a special bus route 22R linking the cruise terminal and Kai Tak MTR Station. Wednesday’s special bus service will be able to transport about 2,100 passengers

The vessel had shifted its home port to Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic. The operator said the vessel will be based in Hong Kong for two months at the end of next year.

READ MORE: Pursuing value-driven growth in Hong Kong’s tourism industry

At least 18 cruise companies have said that they will be visiting Hong Kong this year, with 166 scheduled voyages, representing a recovery to 76 percent of pre-pandemic levels. 

In a statement, the government acknowledged that crowds of tourists have had to stand in long lines waiting for buses and taxis to downtown areas as a result of inadequate transport services to and from the cruise terminal.

To address the problem, the government will launch a special bus route 22R linking the cruise terminal and Kai Tak MTR Station. Wednesday’s special bus service will be able to transport about 2,100 passengers.

Three additional free shuttle bus routes will carry about 500 passengers a day from the cruise terminal to popular tourist attractions and transportation junctions, such as Tsim Sha Tsui, West Kowloon Cultural District, Admiralty, and Mong Kok.

To increase taxi services at the terminal, the government will inform taxi drivers about passenger flows at the terminal and offer a HK$50 ($6.39) petrol coupon to each taxi that picks up passengers. 

Passengers will be provided with the latest traffic information and assistance in installing digital payment applications. 

Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, told China Daily that he supports the government’s measures to improve services to prepare for the arrival of more tourists. 

He suggested that cruise companies arrange charter buses to take passengers to tourist attractions or distribute transport tickets among passengers to expedite the boarding process. 

Passengers line up for taxis at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on Aug 9, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Lawmaker Rebecca Chan Hoi-yan emphasized the importance of highspending tourists to the city’s economic recovery. She urged the government to better utilize facilities near the cruise terminal and develop them into tourist attractions to increase vitality.

A staff member holds a sign for a bus service for passengers at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal going to the Kai Tak MTR Station on Aug 9, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Passengers take a taxi at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on Aug 9, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Passengers board a taxi at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on Aug 9, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Passengers line up for taxis at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on Aug 9, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

To further boost Hong Kong’s tourism recovery, Chui urged the government to consider the importation of nonlocal workers in related industries to ease the labor crunch, and subsequently, to enhance the reputation of the local tourism industry with better services and encourage tourism spending. 

READ MORE: HK sees accelerated recovery in tourism

A survey released by the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners in June showed that Hong Kong’s hotel industry faces a shortage of 9,000 workers. 

GBA as a destination 

Both Chui and Fanny Yeung Shukfan, the Travel Industry Council’s executive director, said the city can team up with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to better promote the cluster’s rich tourism resources. 

To further empower the city’s tourism industry, Yeung said it is important to make good use of the transportation links in the GBA and co-design and launch more tourism products with mainland GBA cities. 

Yeung said that tourists can explore multiple GBA cities on one trip, which is a rare geographic and cultural advantage. For instance, they could also take a cruise to and stay in Hong Kong for a night before continuing their journey to other destinations such as Macao and Shenzhen, she said. 

Contact the writers at lindaxi@chinadailyhk.com