Las Vegas Sands launches New High-Speed Ferry Service between Hong Kong and Macau

Las Vegas Sands has launched high-speed ferry services between Hong Kong's Macau Ferry Terminal at Shun Tak Centre and Macau's newly opened Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal on Macau's Taipa Island.

With the launch of the new CotaiJet service, which is being managed by Cotai Chu Kong Shipping Management Services of Hong Kong, visitors and residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and the Pearl River Delta region can now enjoy additional transportation options, and important incremental transportation capacity, between the two Special Administrative Regions.

"As Hong Kong, Macau, and the wider Pearl River Delta enjoy increasing levels of visitation from throughout Asia and around the world, investments in transportation infrastructure will be vital to the continuing development of the region as a leading leisure and convention destination," said Mr. William Weidner, president of Las Vegas Sands Corp. "This new service will offer visitors to the region, and residents of Hong Kong, Macau and southern China, important additional transportation options on the increasingly utilized Hong Kong-Macau route. In addition, visitors to Macau will have the opportunity to arrive directly on Taipa Island in close proximity to The Venetian Macau and the Cotai Strip."

The Grand Canal Shoppes vessel is one of three 47.5 meter hi-tech passenger catamarans providing LVS's CotaiJet service. The CotaiJet service features 20 sailings per day, 10 each from Hong Kong and Macau, with service beginning at 7am each day. An additional seven boats, bringing the fleet of CotaiJets to 10, are expected to be placed into service throughout 2008.

Each custom-built catamaran has the capacity to carry more than 400 passengers and operate at top speeds of approximately 42 knots. The CotaiJet service will feature first-class dining options, convenient booking of Cotai Strip entertainment offerings, as well as on-board hotel check-in services for visitors to the Cotai Strip.

"With its wide-range of business, exhibition and convention facilities and world-class entertainment, all complimented by an incredible Venetian-style shopping, dining, and recreation experience, the Cotai Strip was specifically designed to help transform Macau into a multi-day stay destination," said Mr. Stephen Weaver, president of Asia Region, Las Vegas Sands Corp. "The launch of our sea-borne transportation system, which would not have been possible without the strong support of authorities in Hong Kong, Macau, and the wider region, is an important component in our collective efforts to transform the region as a whole into one of the world's leading business and leisure destinations."

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