The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong, operated and managed by Worldwide Cruise Terminals (WCT), announced it had achieved a year of significant milestones in 2018, as it marked its fifth year in operation in June 2018, and celebrated the arrival of KTCT’s two millionth passenger on September 23 2018.
It was honored to be named Asia’s Best Cruise Home Port of 2018 by Asia Cruise Leaders Network. The port also received Hong Kong’s most prestigious local transport industry award, the biennial CILT Service Excellence Award on 22nd June 2018. WCT was also grateful to have achieved the APEC Green Port Award 2018 issued by the APEC Port Services Network in November and the Chinese Cruise and Yacht Industry Association’s Best Reputation Award. Lastly, the port was one of only seven companies or organizations in Hong Kong that was recognized with a Barrier-Free Environment Award in 2018.
Further highlights ensued as Kai Tak achieved a record-setting month for six inaugural calls (out of 22 ship calls) in the month of March, and marked another new local record-setting highest throughput day of 15,307 revenue passengers in June when the terminal played host to two mega cruise ships, leapfrogging the last record-setting highest throughput day of 13,327 itinerary cruise passengers.
Among many other highlights, Kai Tak celebrated the arrival of its two millionth cruise ship passenger in September during a World Dream call.
Jeff Bent, managing director of WCT, said “The arrival of our two millionth cruise passenger in September 2018 so soon after our first millionth passenger in June 2017 is further validation of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal’s success since its inception in 2013. We are glad to see the cruise lines’ business growing strongly and look forward to receiving our three millionth guest in the near future.”
The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal also continued to serve as the venue for many public and private events in 2018, including those held by fashion and luxury goods brands, public exhibitions, charity events, product launches and corporate incentive events. It is also serves as a popular backdrop for film and TV productions. The terminal regularly hosts over twenty weddings and banquets per month at onsite F&B outlets and green spaces.
2019 promises to be another strong year for Kai Tak as both newly inaugurated colossal transportation facilities, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the high-speed rail service to mainland China, begin to gain momentum. The former will make Macao and Guangdong more accessible for shore excursions, and bring most western Pearl River Delta source markets within a two-hour drive. The latter will bring 270 million people within a four-hour train ride of Hong Kong, vastly enlarging Hong Kong’s catchment area and addressable source market.
