GHK and China Merchants Shekou Holdings to make Shenzhen port a base for international cruise ships
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Genting Hong Kong (GHK) has joined with China Merchants Shekou Holdings to jointly develop Tai Zi Bay in Shekou, Shenzhen into an international cruise homeport and accelerate the growth of China’s cruise industry.
The memorandum of understanding was signed in Shenzhen on 9 April 2016 by Xu Yongjun, managing director of China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings, and Ang Moo Lim, executive vice president of sales at GHK and president of Star Cruises.
The Tai Zi Bay Cruise Terminal is the only port in China capable of accommodating 220,000gt cruise vessels and will become operational this November.
“Asia’s cruise industry is booming and China is expected to become the fastest-growing country in the world as international cruise lines ramp up their operations in response to surging demand from China’s emerging middle class,” said Li Jianhong, chairman of China Merchants Group. “Already well-known for its business strength in finance, property, logistics and trading, China Merchant Group is poised to enhance its international reputation through developing high-end cruise industry ecosystems through our collaboration with GHK and via expansion in cruise industry construction and operation, including cruise terminal construction and management, fleet development, maintenance and repair.”
GHK also revealed that its cruise brand Star Cruises will homeport SuperStar Virgo at Tai Zi Bay from November 2016, making it the first international cruise line to deploy ships from Shenzhen. The ship will offer a four-night cruise calling at Ha Long Bay, Vietnam and Sanya, China, as well as a five-night cruise calling at Nha Trang, Da Nang and Sanya, Vietnam, and a seven-night cruise to Ha Long Bay, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City.
“A pioneer in the cruise industry in China over 20 years ago, GHK has, over the years, developed Sanya, Haikou, Shanghai, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen homeports, not to mention the evergreen homeports of Hong Kong and Taipei, making us the cruise company with the longest history and with the most homeports in Greater China,” said Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman and CEO of GHK. “Having observed the great potential of Shenzhen, from as early as 2002, we operated cruises to Vietnam from the old Shekou Port. We are pleased to see the development of Tai Zi Bay and even happier to ink a strategic alliance with China Merchant Group today, to join hands in developing cruise tourism in China.”
In 2015, more than 1.2 million Chinese travellers took cruises and this number is expected to rise to 4.5 million in five years.