​Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (October 28):

Question:

     The development of island tourism and "island hopping tours" is one of the key strategies set out in the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0. However, there are currently no direct ferry routes connecting several major outlying islands, and residents and visitors often need to interchange at the Central or Sai Kung piers, which is time-consuming and increases transport expenses, thereby reducing the appeal of "island hopping tours". In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective average patronage on weekdays and holidays of the six major outlying island ferry routes, namely (i) "Central-Cheung Chau"; (ii) "Central-Mui Wo"; (iii) "Peng Chau-Mui Wo-Chi Ma Wan-Cheung Chau"; (iv) "Central-Peng Chau"; (v) "Central-Yung Shue Wan"; and (vi) "Central-Sok Kwu Wan", in the past three years and after the fare adjustment in April this year; and of the respective rates of change in their patronage;

(2) whether the authorities have plans to enhance kaito ferry or water taxi services by launching routes connecting various outlying islands or attractions on the outer islands of Sai Kung (e.g. "Cheung Chau-Lamma Island", "Tseung Kwan O-Kiu Tsui-Leung Shuen Wan"), eliminating the need for interchange at the Central or Sai Kung piers; if so, whether short-term or seasonal routes will be operated on a trial basis to gauge market response, and of the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) as some kaito operators have reflected that the application procedures for the existing kaito licences are lengthy, making it difficult for the trade to make deployment immediately and arrange new routes in response to peak tourist seasons or passenger flows, whether the authorities will consider streamlining the relevant approval procedures; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) to enhance the attractiveness of "island hopping tours", whether the authorities will consider introducing an "island hopping pass" for inbound visitors (e.g. a three-day unlimited ferry ride pass), so that visitors can take ferries to specified island attractions within a limited time frame to develop island tourism; if so, of the details; if not, how the authorities will reduce visitors' transport expenses on "island hopping tours"?

Reply:

President,

     Hong Kong has 1 180km of coastline and 263 islands. The Government will make good use of these natural resources and advantages to develop island tourism, on the premise of respecting and protecting the ecological environment and giving full consideration to the carrying capacity of the coastlines and islands. In addition to participating in island tourism offerings of the tourism trade or hiring pleasure vessels to explore tailor-made island tour routes, tourists may also utilise existing waterborne public transport to visit tourist hotspots such as Cheung Chau, Mui Wo, Tai O and Sai Kung outlying islands.
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     As far as ferry services are concerned, there are currently 14 licensed ferry routes and 68 kaito ferry routes that provide waterborne transport to/from outlying islands. Licensed outlying island ferry routes provide daily public transport services essential for outlying island residents, while most kaito ferry services operate on a subject-to-demand basis, providing waterborne transport to remote locations that are generally inaccessible by land (such as remote islands in the vicinity of Sai Kung, Tai Po and North District). Both also provide appropriate shuttle services for tourists visiting outlying island attractions.

     Having consulted the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), the reply to the Member's question is as follows:

(1) The average daily patronage and year-on-year changes of the six major outlying island ferry routes on weekdays and holidays in the past three years (i.e. from October 2023 to September 2026), as well as their average daily patronage and changes over the same period on weekdays and holidays following the most recent fare adjustment, are set out in the Annex.

(2) Currently, six licensed outlying island ferry routes (such as the "Peng Chau-Mui Wo-Chi Ma Wan-Cheung Chau (Inter-islands)" route and the "Tuen Mun-Tung Chung-Sha Lo Wan-Tai O" route) and most kaito ferry routes (especially those that ply between islands in the vicinity of the eastern waters and islands in Sai Kung) have one or more berthing points in addition to the origin and destination, facilitating passenger travel between different islands. Meanwhile, the Water Taxi licensed ferry route provides services across the Victoria Harbour but not to/from the outlying islands.

     The Transport Department (TD) welcomes and encourages ferry operators to proactively consider introducing suitable new routes, including those with multiple berthing points, to attract more citizens and tourists on board. Furthermore, the TD maintains close communication all along with relevant policy bureaux/departments and industry stakeholders to assess passenger demand for waterborne transport services and take the initiative to invite operators to commission specific new routes in response to such demand. For example, at the TD's invitation, an operator commissioned the "Sha Tau Kok-Lai Chi Wo/Ap Chau/Kat O" kaito ferry route in early 2024 to tie in with the Second Phase Opening-up of Sha Tau Kok.

     Demand for most kaito ferry services is relatively unstable due to factors such as weather conditions and holidays. Therefore, the TD allows operators to flexibly adjust services subject to operational conditions and passenger demand, such as strengthening frequency during peak seasons. The TD also welcomes ferry operators to operate new routes on a trial basis to gauge market response.

(3) The TD has set up an online channel to facilitate the submission of new and renewal applications for kaito ferry licences. Those interested in operating kaito ferry services may submit their applications at any time of the year. The TD has provided information on all existing kaito ferry routes on its website, and will list out proposed new routes in its regularly conducted public invitations for interested applicants' reference.

     Upon receipt of applications for kaito ferry services, the TD will process according to established procedures, taking into account such factors as the proposed service details, berthing facility arrangements, passenger demand and existing public transport services. The TD will also consult relevant departments (such as the Marine Department, Civil Engineering and Development Department and the relevant District Offices) on the applications and conduct berthing trials to ensure service safety. The TD will continue to actively follow up on any applications for kaito ferry services, including proactively providing assistance to applicants in need and maintaining close liaison with relevant departments to expedite the approval process.

(4) The CSTB has all along been actively promoting island tourism through the Hong Kong Tourism Board, including a dedicated page for island tourism on the one-stop travel information portal DiscoverHongKong.com, as well as the release of promotional videos and social media clips. It also encourages the trade to leverage the island resources to develop island-hopping tours and offer more distinctive island tourism products.

     Regarding ferry services, the TD has always encouraged ferry operators to, having regard to such factors as the overall economic environment and their own operational and financial situation, offer passengers (including tourists) diverse fare concessions, such as multi-ride tickets (including monthly tickets, same-day return tickets and holiday return tickets), as far as possible in order to reduce the burden on passengers and expand customer base. In addition, the TD provides free ferry rides to eligible organisations through the Visiting Scheme to Outlying Islands (VSOI) to encourage them to hold activities on the outlying islands, with a view to promoting local economic development and boosting the patronage of the outlying island ferry services. In the past year, a total of approximately 40 000 passenger trips were made on outlying island ferry services free of charge under the VSOI.

Ends/Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:10

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