Hainan and the Philippines have entered the Asia Cruise Fund, joining ranks with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB). Asia Cruise Fund was launched by the HKTB an the TTB in April this year, in an effort to promote regional cooperation in the area of
cruise tourism, and motivate international cruise lines to deploy more ships to, and increase their investment in Asia by supporting the development and marketing of cruise products featuring the port partners. China’s Hainan Province and the Philippines will become official members of the Asia Cruise Fund in December 2014 and April 2015, respectively.
Their participation is expected to further enhance the scale and value of marketing and promotional support provided by the fund. It will also facilitate itinerary planning by cruise lines, thus enhancing the variety of cruise products and the attractiveness of cruise travel in Asia. Dr. Wayne Liu, Deputy Director-General of the TTB, said: “In February this year, Taiwan and Hong Kong broke through the conventional barriers and signed an Asia Cruise Fund agreement that establishes a model for the Asian area in the joint development of cruise passenger sources at home and abroad.
The Philippines and Hainan are joining the co-op fund, transforming the alliance from a single ‘line’ between two places to an entire ‘area’. We are confident that by linking the unique features of these four destinations, we will enrich the content of the Asian packages offered by cruise operators and strengthen their confidence in the Asian market. This will expand the scale and boost the competitiveness of this market, and further brighten the prospects of tourism in Asia. We look forward to closer multilateral cooperation with all the destinations that join the Asia Cruise Fund in attracting international cruise liners to visit us.
Also, we will continue working to encourage more Asian destinations wishing to develop cruise tourism to join the Asia Cruise Fund.” At present, funding has been approved for a number of itineraries featuring Hong Kong and Taiwan developed by various cruise lines. The co-op fund’s four partners will work closely together to encourage the introduction of more cruise products, drive the development of the Asian cruise market, and invite other ports in the region to enter this strategic alliance.
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