Cruise ship projected to bring in around 80,000 tourists annually

Wallis Wang

Mainland cruise ship Piano Land, which returned to Hong Kong for the first time since the pandemic, is expected to bring 80,000 tourists a year.

The ship, operated by Astro Ocean Cruise, made a port call on Tuesday at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui with 1,500 passengers.

Equipped with 900 rooms, the vessel can carry a maximum of 1,800 passengers.

It plans to use Hong Kong as its home port starting in April, offering international routes to Japan and Vietnam.

The company said it opted to berth in Tsim Sha Tsui instead of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on New Year's Eve so that its passengers could view the fireworks display over Victoria Harbour while on board.

The cruise ship set sail last night to Sanya in Hainan.

Hou Dawei, the company's general manager, said the ship will be based in Hong Kong as nearly 70 trips from the city to Japan and Vietnam are scheduled this year.

He added that the company aims to attract tourists from various locations such as the Greater Bay Area, Hunan, Sichuan and Chongqing.

"We hope to attract more mainland tourists to Hong Kong. After sightseeing in the SAR, they can then travel to other destinations on the cruise ship," Hou said.

Tourism commissioner Angelina Cheung Fung Wing-ping anticipates that with Piano Land launching around 70 cruise trips per year, these will bring about 80,000 tourists to Hong Kong annually.

"The return of Piano Land to Hong Kong not only enriches tourists' options for cruise tourism in the city but also infuses new vitality into the tourism industry in both Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area," Cheung said.

She said the central government has implemented measures to facilitate cruise travelers, which can attract more international cruises to berth in Hong Kong and explore new routes.

Additionally, authorities plan to offer support to cruise companies to boost related tourism, she added.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com