Taiwan plans to attract more than 1 million cruise ship passengers in 2017, as the government seeks to build on the recent growth in cruise travel by transforming the sector into a key driver of the local tourism industry, according to the Executive Yuan Feb. 2.
During a Cabinet briefing on the cruise sector by state-run port operator Taiwan International Ports Corp., Premier Lin Chuan instructed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to craft development strategies aimed at increasing the productivity and profitability of the sector so as to bolster its contributions to local tourism.
Future promotional measures should seek to leverage the tourism assets of the country’s port cities, Lin said, adding that more efforts will be directed toward promoting collaboration among local governments, port authorities and international cruise companies.
Asia is emerging as a major source of cruise industry development, the TIPC said, citing projections by the Washington-based Cruise Lines International Association showing a 14.2 percent growth rate for the region, more than double the worldwide average of 5.4 percent.
Taiwan possesses great cruise tourism potential, and committed government efforts to upgrade port facilities are already paying handsome dividends, the TIPC added.
TIPC data reveal that local ports hosted 493 calls and serviced about 750,000 cruise passengers from home and abroad in 2016, including 20,000 fly-cruise holidaymakers—passengers who arrived by air to embark on a cruise at a local port before flying home from Taiwan.
With the nation’s economy expected to pick up steam this year, these numbers are projected to grow to 646 port calls, 1.02 million passengers and 25,000 fly-cruise vacationers, with the sector’s output rising from NT$4 billion (US$129.35 million) to NT$5 billion.
According to the CLIA Asia Cruise Trends 2016 Report, Taiwan was the second largest passenger source market in Asia last year, accounting for 11 percent of the total. The Port of Keelung in northern Taiwan ranked fifth in Asia for port calls by cruise ships, behind South Korea’s Jeju Island, Shanghai, Singapore and Fukuoka, Japan, in that order
Earlier this year, the TIPC announced that commencing in October, Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan will serve as the home port for five new cruises serviced by the 1,337-cabin Sapphire Princess, which is operated by U.S.-headquartered Princess Cruises. This development underscores the importance that international cruise companies attach to Taiwan, the port operator said. (SFC-E)
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