Arrivals of international tourists on cruise ships are expected to return to 90 percent of pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels by the end of this year thanks to new business models, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.
Taiwan on March 6 permitted international cruise ships to resume services, Department of Navigation and Aviation Deputy Director Han Cheng-hua (韓正華) said.
As of Sunday, 252 international cruise ships had departed from or transited at seaports across Taiwan, with 106 at the Port of Kaohsiung, 100 at the Port of Keelung, 36 at the Port of Magong in Penghu County and 10 at the Port of Hualien, Han said.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan International Ports Corp
Within six months, 423,000 people on cruise ships had accessed seaports in Taiwan, he said.
The number of cruise ship arrivals could return to about 50 percent of what it was in 2019 by December, he said.
About 140,000 international tourists are expected to arrive on cruise ships this year, close to 90 percent of the 2019 level, Han said.
In 2019, a record 667 cruise ships stopped or transited at commercial seaports in Taiwan, ministry data showed.
Of the 1.05 million arrivals, about 160,000 were international tourists, the data showed.
About 40 percent of the arrivals this year were from Hong Kong or Macau, 30 percent were from North America or Europe, and 20 percent were from Japan, the data showed.
Han attributed the quick recovery after the pandemic to a new business model, in which cruise ships operate from two home ports instead of one.
“We have had so many international cruise ship arrivals this year because they have Kaohsiung and Hong Kong as home ports,” he said.
“Traditional cruise ship services mainly benefit outbound tourists, as they only allow international arrivals to stay in Taiwan for five to eight hours,” Han said. “With the two home-ports model, international tourists can disembark and stay in Taiwan for a few days before leaving on a flight or a cruise ship.”
The new model allows international tourists to spend more time in Taiwan and travel to more cities, which generates greater business opportunities than before, he said.
Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC) forecast that 450 cruise ships would access seaports in Taiwan next year.
Resorts World One would operate using Kaohsiung and Hong Kong as home ports, while the MSC Bellissima from March next year is to use Keelung and Yokohama, Japan, as home ports, TIPC said.
In June next year, the Norwegian Spirit is to arrive in Taiwan for the first time and operate tours between Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, it said.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) has instructed that efforts to attract cruise ship travelers from overseas be boosted, Han said.
Aside from participating in the annual Seatrade Cruise Global expo, TIPC sent a delegation to communicate directly with cruise ship operators overseas, Han said.
Meanwhile, the Maritime and Port Bureau has formed the Asia Archipelago Cruise Alliance with the Philippines and South Korea to promote island-hopping tours, he said.
About NT$430 million (US$13.44 million) would be allocated to renovate Kaohsiung’s Peng Lai Cruise Terminal, while Penghu County is being upgraded to accommodate cruise ships weighing up to 150,000 tonnes with the extension of the Port of Magong’s Pier One, Han said.
Completion of the Pier One work is expected in March next year, he said.
Taiwan would keep its reduced docking fees and subsidies for cruise ship operators until next year, he said.
The Tourism Administration is organizing tours for international cruise ship arrivals, he added.
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