Hong Kong well placed to become Asia's leading cruise hub

Worldwide cruise passengers are expected to reach 13.6 million by 2005 and Asia-Pacific will be one of the fast-growing areas in this market, a study commissioned by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) reveals.

The study by consultants Bermello, Ajamil & Partners shows that new cruise vessels coming into service are getting longer and larger. Already, 36 new vessels are scheduled to join the fleets of the major cruise operators worldwide in the next three years, providing 75,000 new floating beds.

In 2001, the Asia Pacific Region generated 840,000 conventional cruise passengers, equivalent to 4.5 million bed-nights (the total number of nights spent on board). This is forecast to grow by up to 10% per annum over the next 10 years. The report shows that Hong Kong, already the second busiest cruise port in the region, is especially well-placed to develop as a hub for cruising in South China and the Far East.

Presenting the study findings today (5 September), HKTB Executive Director Clara Chong noted that international cruise passengers were a particularly important contributor to the tourism industry because they tended to come from higher income brackets. "The report estimates that the economic benefit of the cruise sector to Hong Kong could reach as much as HK$3.3 billion by 2010," she observed.

"It is not difficult to think of some of Hong Kong's natural advantages as a cruising hub," Ms Chong added. "Our spectacular harbour is clearly a major selling point, but also important are our standing as a major international air transport hub, our prime location at the gateway to Mainland China and, of course, our well-established position as Asia's most popular single tourism destination.

"However, to help us make informed decisions on how best to market Hong Kong as a cruise destination over the next five or ten years, we need more detailed growth figures and forecasts," Ms Chong explained.

"In commissioning this study, we wanted to obtain a reliable analysis of worldwide cruise capacity, of annual ship deployment patterns, of worldwide cruise passenger profiles and source markets, of demand forecasts for cruise passengers and of potential competitors. All this information will enable us to develop more focused and effective short, medium and long term marketing plans and strategies for the cruise market."

The consultants' study notes that the North American market offers especially high potential for both first-time and repeat business, with research showing that 43 million people from North America plan to take a cruise in the next five years, and 80% of those who have already been on a cruise plan to take another. Prospects for the European and Asian markets also look encouraging as incomes and leisure time increase, and air transport is made more accessible. Mainland China offers considerable longer-term potential as its economy continues to grow.

Scott Lagueux, Partner of Bermello, Ajamil & Partners, said that Hong Kong was in a strong position to benefit from this steady growth. "The feedback we received from the 16 major operators we interviewed for this study was very positive towards Hong Kong as a cruise destination, rating it as a 'must' on Asian itineraries," he commented.

Hong Kong will enjoy natural growth in cruise market volumes as the Asia-Pacific region's economy develops, Mr Lagueux observed, but it can increase the benefit by working with international cruise operators to help them develop products and itineraries that can appeal to international consumers, and raise interest in cruising in the regional market.

Mr Lagueux emphasised that to optimise long-term business opportunities and achieve the maximum projected economic benefit for Hong Kong, there were three key success factors: more berths, streamlined logistics and aggressive marketing.

Ms Chong noted that the HKTB was already working closely with regional operators to develop new, Hong Kong based packages, as well as aggressively promoting Hong Kong's advantages to the major international cruise lines. "We have so far secured 24 international ship calls, involving 14 different operators, for 2003," she said. "We expect the final number to be much higher.

"Our overall aim is to help each cruise line develop more programmes involving Hong Kong, differentiate their products from competitors and maximise their financial returns," Ms Chong concluded. "By doing so, we can also help to maximise the economic contribution of this important and exciting market to Hong Kong's tourism industry."