Commissioner for Tourism attends Cruise Shipping Miami Conference (with photos)
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     The Commissioner for Tourism, Mr Philip Yung, together with the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), Mr Anthony Lau, and representatives of the Worldwide Cruise Terminals Consortium (WCT), which was recently appointed as the operator of the new cruise terminal at Kai Tak, attended the annual Cruise Shipping Miami Conference from March 12 to 14 (Miami time) to update the cruise industry on the latest developments of cruise tourism in Hong Kong and introduce the new cruise terminal operator to key industry stakeholders.

     At the conference, Mr Yung introduced WCT, the selected operator for the new cruise terminal, to cruise executives and the media. He also updated the participants on Hong Kong's strong performance in tourism and the city's plans to boost its cruise tourism, capitalising on the commissioning of the new terminal.

     The delegation also conducted meetings with the senior management of various major cruise companies to explore the possibility of enhancing ship deployment to Hong Kong.

     "Hong Kong is strongly positioned as a leading cruise hub in Asia. The existing Ocean Terminal has been working well. We look forward to commissioning a new, highly efficient cruise terminal in the middle of next year, and we are very delighted to have appointed WCT as our terminal operator. We believe that with WCT's expertise and the support of industry stakeholders, we will be able to make our cruise terminal a big success," Mr Yung said in a briefing session for cruise executives and the media.

     "We have also greatly benefited from our discussions with cruise lines and industry partners in Miami. These discussions have shed useful light on how our new cruise terminal can meet the operational needs of cruise lines. The HKTB will put in more resources for cruise promotion and marketing initiatives, and work hand in hand with the terminal operator. We welcome more opportunities to exchange views with cruise lines with a view to enhancing the potential of cruise tourism in the region," Mr Yung added.

     The HKTB also set up an exhibition booth to showcase the design of the new cruise terminal as well as Hong Kong's position as a world-class tourist destination. The HKTB organised a cocktail reception at the booth to further strengthen rapport with the relevant industry representatives.

     Cruise Shipping Miami is the largest cruise trade event, bringing together industry stakeholders from all over the world. For over 27 years, it has continued to be the leading international exhibition and conference. The conference this year was attended by industry representatives from over 120 countries and cities in the world.

Ends/Thursday, March 15, 2012
Issued at HKT 11:44

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