Lawmakers accuse Hong Kong tourism chief of poorly handling Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, including poor transport links, underused facilities

Lawmakers slammed Hong Kong’s tourism chief on Monday, accusing him of mismanaging the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, pointing to its poor transport links and underused facilities.

In response, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said the government was scheduled to set out an action plan in the first half of 2024 to “elaborate a little more” on future arrangements for the district.

“I think you have handled the entire cruise terminal and the facilities around it quite poorly since you took office,” lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king said at a Legislative Council panel meeting on economic development.

“The government has not made good use of the overall resources. Taxpayers invested a lot of money into the terminal … but Hong Kong people rarely go there because of the inconvenient transport and the closed shopping malls. Why?”

Authorities have faced intense criticism after chaotic transport arrangements at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

City authorities and port operator Worldwide Cruise Terminals faced heat earlier this year over chaotic transport arrangements when Royal Caribbean International’s Spectrum of the Seas returned to Hong Kong for the first time in over a year.

Tourists who arrived in the city on August 4 complained of long waits for taxis and other modes of public transport, sparking immediate improvements such as temporary extra bus routes and incentives for taxi drivers following an urgent meeting between government departments, the Tourism Board and the operator of the cruise terminal.

But the fiasco also led to further examination and criticism of urban planning in the wider Kai Tak area, including the district’s overall transport system, why there was only one road leading to and from the port, and its underused facilities.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung (L) says an action plan is expected in the first half of 2024. Photo: Edmond So

Tourism-sector lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung also questioned the minister about three pieces of unused land near the terminal.

“How and when will it be used? Is there a timetable for development? Right now, they are just sitting there, basking in the sun.” he said.

Michael Leung Chung-lap, project manager of the Civil Engineering and Development Department, said land-use planning was “subject to property market conditions”.

Lawmaker Lee also said there were only four bus routes to and from Kai Tak, resulting in a daily “collapse” during the evening rush hour because of “the large number of working people living there”.

“Can the Transport Department promise to improve the situation immediately in the short term?” she asked.

Royal Caribbean International’s Spectrum of the Seas returned to Hong Kong in August for the first time in over a year. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Chow Bing-kay, assistant commissioner for transport, added a green minibus was also operating in the area, while an additional 20X route to Tsim Sha Tsui was in the works.

“We will continue to pay attention to the transport needs in that area and extend the system step by step,” he said.

Since August, Spectrum of the Seas has returned to Hong Kong three more times, while cruises scheduled to dock at Kai Tak throughout the remainder of the year include Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess, Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Solstice and Resorts World Cruises’ Resorts World One.