Demand in the cruise tourism market was strong last year and the momentum is expected to continue, government officials and cruise line operators said on Thursday.
Senior vice president of international sales for Princess Cruises Trey Hickey said the Taiwanese market grew rapidly last year compared with 2013, when the company set up a subsidiary in the nation.
“We are true believers in the long-term potential of the Taiwan cruise market — both in terms of inbound and outbound travel,” Hickey said.
“In just a few short years, we have already carried over 100,000 passengers in and out of Taiwan, including significant numbers of long-haul travelers from the US, Europe and Australia, as well as regional travelers from Japan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia,” he said.
According to Princess Cruises, another 20,000 passengers are likely to use its services by the end of this year, particularly as it has added Kaohsiung to its Taiwan calls, which were previously only made at Keelung Port.
Taiwan International Ports Corp president Kuo Tien-kuei (郭添貴) said that cruise travel will become a mainstay of the tourism industry.
The corporation has forecast 30 percent annual growth in both the number of cruise ships and passengers to Taiwan this year.
The state-run port management company estimated that about 600 cruise ships will visit Taiwan this year, 30 percent more than last year, while cruise ship passengers will rise by the same percentage to 1 million.
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