By
Rebecca Gibson |
Hainan and the Philippines have joined the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB).
Representatives from the four destinations signed an official agreement at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre during the two-day Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific conference and exhibition, which took place on 21-22 November.
Founded by the HKTB and the TTB in April this year, the Asia Cruise Fund aims to promote regional cooperation in the area of cruise tourism, and motivate international cruise lines to deploy more ships in Asia by supporting the development and marketing of cruise products and port partners.
Hainan and the Philippines will become official members of the Asia Cruise Fund in December 2014 and April 2015, respectively. Their participation is expected to further enhance the scale and value of marketing and promotional support provided by the fund. It will also facilitate itinerary planning by cruise lines.
“When the HKTB initiated the concept of a cruise co-op fund, we envisioned a strategic alliance which benefits not only cruise lines through funding support for them to market their products, but also the member ports and the Asian region at large, as new itineraries and more ship calls to Asia ultimately enhance consumer interest in cruise travel in the region,” said Peter Lam, chairman of the HKTB. “Our four destinations will work closely together to encourage cruise lines and our neighbouring ports to join and leverage the Asia Cruise Fund to expand their business. Meanwhile, Hong Kong will continue to enrich its cruise offerings and promote its diverse onshore experiences, including unique cultural experiences, and world-class dining and shopping, to cruise passengers from the region and around the world.”
There has been a significant influx in the number of cruise arrivals in the Philippines with an average growth rate of 40% over the past two years, which is expected to hit 50% by the end of the year. This has prompted the country to actively grow its cruise infrastructure.
“The Philippines is now experiencing the burgeoning Asian cruise business, attracting more and more cruise calls to its 7,107 beautiful island destinations,” said Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr., from the Philippine Department of Tourism. “Our participation in the Asia Cruise Fund is indeed a significant step as we join the rest of the fund's members in synchronising efforts to diversify our region’s product offerings for various cruise markets and attract more of the world's growing cruise travel population.”
Zhu Hongwu, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission, said: “The rich resources, advantageous location and favourable policies of Hainan have laid the foundation for the city’s cruise development. Through participating in the Asia Cruise Fund, we want to attract cruise lines to develop more itineraries featuring Hainan.”