By
Rebecca Gibson |
Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (KTCT) is set to welcome “more calls by a wider variety of lines” in 2024, according to operator Worldwide Cruise Terminals (WCT). In addition, eight cruise vessels will make inaugural visits to the port.
In 2023, WCT welcomed a total of 138 cruise calls, marked the return of international ships to KTCT for the first time in three years, and began hosting homeporting operations for Resorts World Cruises. It also celebrated 10 years of operations at KTCT.
“The return of international ship calls and a new homeport deployment marked a positive restart for both cruising and Hong Kong,” said Jeff Bent, managing director for WCT. “We were delighted to host cruise ships again for the first time in a year, and welcome international ship calls and visitors back for the first time in three years. Ship calls in our 10 active months reached 75 per cent of pre-pandemic full year levels, and we retained local market share of around 90 per cent of cruise passengers.”
WCT predicts that recent infrastructure upgrades and new attractions opening in Hong Kong will help to further increase cruise traffic in future.
“Hong Kong has done much to improve the attractiveness and infrastructure for cruising over the last few years, with new attractions in the West Kowloon Cultural District, a new one-stop boundary crossing and, closer to the cruise terminal, a new Kai Tak metro station, a new road connection, and new bus routes and services,” said Brent. “We believe all these, in addition to recently added transportation links such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the High-Speed Rail, and the third runway system scheduled for completion this year, will boost Hong Kong’s international connectivity for cruise passengers, provide more options for pre- and post-trip excursions in the Greater Bay Area, and make Hong Kong a more attractive destination and homeport.”