The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal recorded a more-than-500% surge in ship calls and passenger throughput in 2017 compared to 2014, its first full year of commissioning.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau told legislators today that the number of ship calls at the terminal went up from 28 in 2014 to 186 in 2017, while passenger throughput increased from 130,608 to 784,073.

At present, the Kai Tak terminal accounts for more than 80% of total ship calls and cruise passenger throughput in the city.

In the earlier years when the Government was considering constructing the terminal, it projected that by 2023, the number of ship calls in Hong Kong would range from 181 to 258, and cruise passenger throughput from 564,102 to 1,041,031.

Through the joint efforts of the Government and the trade, the terminal's 2017 ship calls and cruise passenger throughput had achieved the 2023 projected performance.

Mr Yau said it is not factual to say the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal is vacant most of the time, given that it has ship calls on nearly half of the days each year, and the overall cruise utilisation has exceeded the projected performance.

The Government would continue to strengthen transport connectivity in the vicinity and support different organisations to make use of the terminal to hold events, he added.