Cruise liner adds Kaohsiung and the Penghu Islands to Hong Kong route in anticipation of uptick in passenger demand
- Resorts World One will make its inaugural journey from Hong Kong to Taiwan’s main port next month
- The liner offers resort-style amenities including a spa, pools, sports facilities and entertainment, as well as 18 dining outlets
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Post-pandemic international tourism is well under way. As Hong Kong returns to normality, Asian-based cruise liner company Resorts World Cruises is hoping to entice travel-hungry vacationers in Hong Kong and Macau with a new route to Taiwan.
The cruise liner Resorts World One will depart from Hong Kong for the first time next month as a destination cruise on a new itinerary to Taiwan. The options for passengers will include port calls at Kaohsiung, on the southern tip of Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands, an archipelago to the west of Taiwan. The sailing, which departs Hong Kong three times a week, is expected to help boost the cruise sector and its related industries. The new itinerary is in addition to the liner’s “cruise to nowhere” two-day round trips into international waters, which gained popularity during the Covid-19 travel bans and will continue to operate.
The international cruise sector is making a good recovery following the end of travel restrictions. According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry’s largest trade association, the number of cruise passengers is expected to surpass the 2019 pre-pandemic level by the end of this year, estimating the recovery will exceed 12 per cent of 2019 levels within three years. Meanwhile, a report by Future Market Insights suggests ocean cruise passenger numbers are expected to exceed 39 million by 2027, compared with almost 30 million in 2019.
Asia was among the top three cruise destinations in 2018, and the Asia-Pacific region is likely to see growing demand for cruise tourism. As cruise liners have begun to resume operations, more than 5 million passengers have sailed to over 85 countries. And, indicating that enthusiasm for this form of tourism remains strong, almost 80 per cent of travellers who had taken a cruise before the pandemic said they would do so again.
Resorts World Cruises is a regional brand with two rebranded ships, Resorts World One and Genting Dream, that began sailing out of Singapore and Malaysia last year. The company is an extension of Singapore-based Resorts World, which has more than 45 luxury properties in Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. The introduction of Resorts World Cruises follows the group’s strategy to bring the resort experience to seafaring passengers in the Asia-Pacific region.
