Edward Leung urges govt to announce cruise tourism development plan

Disney's new cruise ship, the Disney Adventure, recently announced that it will be homeported in Singapore.

Legislative Council Member Edward Leung has suggested that the government actively seek to make Hong Kong a port of call for Disney cruises to promote the sustainable development of the local tourism industry.

Today (June 27), Leung wrote to Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, urging the authorities to promptly announce specific measures for a "cruise tourism economy development action plan" and actively strive to attract more cruises to make Hong Kong a homeport or a tourist stop.

Leung noted that the Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Homeport officially opened this week. "With the rapid catch-up of neighboring regions, Hong Kong's previous advantage in cruise tourism has gradually diminished."

Leung mentioned that the government stated in November 2023 that an action plan for cruise tourism would be announced in the first half of 2024, detailing how to utilize cruise terminal resources better to attract more cruises to Hong Kong.

"The government also stated that HK$32.5 million would be earmarked for promoting cruise tourism in 2024," he added.

According to Leung, in the first quarter of 2024, 77 cruise ships docked in Hong Kong, with over 220,000 passenger visits, approaching pre-pandemic levels. He believes that if the government continues to enhance distinctive promotions and improve the supporting facilities at cruise terminals, it will positively impact Hong Kong's tourism industry.

Leung hopes the government will announce the action plan as soon as possible, allowing all sectors of society to actively cooperate and share in the benefits of cruise tourism development. "This will prevent concerns about the underutilization of cruise terminals and stagnation of related facilities, thus saving Hong Kong's tourism advantages."