Letters | 3 ideas for making a Hong Kong cruise terminal tourist-friendly

Readers write in about how to improve the experience for cruise tourists arriving in the city, and why car owners should pay more expensive tolls

Reading Time:2 minutes

A view from a cruise ship docking at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on August 4. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 2:30pm, 8 Aug 2023

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification.

The transport problem at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal gives a bad impression to tourists arriving in Hong Kong, and might impact the recovery of the tourism industry. It is also a waste to leave the terminal underused.

In the near term, the government should charter air-conditioned double-deckers and offer a free shuttle service to and from the nearest MTR station whenever cruise ships dock at Kai Tak.

This service should be free because cruise tourists might not have local coins or Octopus cards for the bus. If time permits, bus companies can be asked to operate the service.

In the intermediate term, the cruise terminal could offer rent-free or discounted-rent periods to attract a healthy variety of shops. The idea is to turn the terminal into a shopping and recreational centre for tourists as well as local residents.

In the longer term, a mass transit station of some sort should be built to serve the area.