Hong Kong, Taiwan to promote cruise tourism

Sign letter of intent for this joint effort.

Taiwan's Tourism Bureau signed a letter of intent with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to jointly promote the cruise liner market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Both agencies will cooperate to promote cruise liner business by introducing routes to Taiwan and Hong Kong, and will also push various cruise liner travel products.

The two agencies also announced an agreement with Royal Caribbean International Cruises Ltd in which its liner, Mariner of the Seas, will add routes between Taiwan and Hong Kong starting Oct. 29 and Nov. 2.

Taiwan's Tourism Bureau believes the focus of world cruise liners by 2030 will be on the Asia-Pacific with its estimated 11 million customers by that time. It is forecast there will be over 7 million cruise liner passenger by 2015.

Peter Lam, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said the signing of the letter of intent is an important step toward tapping regional cooperation in cruise liner tourism.