Three in Four Cruise Passengers in the World Will Soon be Chinese
Almost three-quarters of all cruise passengers in the future could be Chinese, according to research by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).
The study reveals a potential 83 million cruise passengers in seven source markets within Greater China. This figure is four times the current number of cruise passengers world-wide.
Hong Kong, with its connectivity to the Pearl River Delta, Central China and Taiwan by air, high speed rail and land transportation via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, is looking at a cruise potential of 54 million passengers.
The study also reveals that the make-up of these passengers is younger and more family-oriented than cruise passengers in traditional source markets such as North America and Europe, where they tend to be older, retired achievers.
As many as 69 percent of respondents from the family segment with children under the age of 16 said they intended to take a cruise, while more than 51 percent of respondents between the ages of 20 and 29 said they have set their sights on a future cruise holiday.
Another study by HKTB "Asia's Cruise Port Development Study" focused on the development of ports in Hong Kong and neighboring areas highlight the commitment throughout the region to facilitate the growth in cruise business by improving port facilities and tourism offerings in the next 5 to 20 years.
Positioning Hong Kong as the home ship destination, the study identifies 21 ports within 6-7 cruise days which already have concrete plans to upgrade berths, cruise infrastructure and supporting infrastructure, as well as expand tourism offerings and improve destination management in areas such as the issuing of visas.
These ports include: Sanya, Xiamen, Zhoushan, Qingdao and Yantai in China, Keelung, Hualien, Kaohsiung, Anping, Taichung, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu in Taiwan, Miyakojima and Takamatsu in Japan, Mokpo and Yeosu in South Korea, Hon La in Vietnam, and Manila, Boracay and Puerto Princesa in the Philippines.
China has long been recognized as the future of cruising. While the number of Europeans and North Americans taking a cruise has leveled off in recent years – the number of Britons opting for a holiday at sea fell by 4.8 per cent last year, compared with 2013 – growth remains steady in the Far East. The number of Chinese cruise passenger rose by 79 per cent between 2012 and 2014.
Meanwhile a new report shows Asia's cruise industry is set for a "record-breaking year" in 2015, thanks to booming demand from Chinese holidaymakers.
The number of Asians taking cruise trips has grown at a compound annual rate of 34 percent since 2012, reaching 1.4 million last year, according to research by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) released Wednesday. Growth was fueled by a 79 percent jump per year in the number of Chinese travelers over that period.
"2015 will be a record-breaking year in Asia, with more travelers cruising the region than ever," Adam Goldstein, chairman of the Cruise Lines International Association and also the president of Royal Caribbean, told CNBC Asia.
