Hong Kong water taxis, harbour cruise firm cash in on aircraft carrier’s visit

Some water transport operators are cashing in on the high-profile visit of the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and its strike fleet to Hong Kong by ferrying visitors for a better look, although marine police have stopped their vessels from getting close.

Hong Kong Water Taxi, owned by the Oriental Pearl Cruise Company, organised special sightseeing tours for visitors to get a closer look on Thursday afternoon, and demand was so strong that it was adding more trips on Friday.

Another firm, Harbour Cruise Bauhinia, is offering a three-hour afternoon tea voyage on Saturday for HK$180 for adults and children and HK$90 for the elderly, with a highlight of seeing the Shandong from a distance.

The Shandong, China’s first home-made warship, was accompanied by the missile destroyers Yanan and Zhanjiang, as well as the missile frigate Yuncheng, on its five-day visit from Thursday to Monday. All tickets to get on board the three smaller warships were snapped up in about a minute.

John Zheng Fangxiang, deputy general manager of Oriental Pearl Cruise, said the special tours were well-received with 700 to 1,000 passengers per day.

  

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