The two companies operating ferry services between Macau and Hong Kong have confirmed they are ready to resume as soon as they receive final permissions from the respective governments.
Their comments come after Hong Kong media reported Wednesday that the Hong Kong government will reopen the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan this Sunday 8 January at the earliest. Macau tourism industry sources have also said regular ferry services are likely to resume on Sunday, but the initial number of trips will not be large.
Hong Kong media outlet Seng Pou quoted sources as saying that Hong Kong will be free of its COVID segregation from mainland China on 8 January, when the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan will reopen.
The Hong Kong Seamen’s Union added that two ferry companies, Cotai Water Jet and TurboJET are ready to resume with an initial itinerary boasting five ships between Hong Kong and Macau.
In a reply to inquiries from IAG, a Cotai Water Jet representative said, “We are waiting for the Hong Kong and Macau governments to inform us that we can operate because the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal has not been officially resumed. If the government announces the resumption of the terminal, we will be able to operate [services] immediately. It is expected that at least three to four departures can be operated from Macau.”
Alfred Ng, Director of TurboJET’s Macau route department, told Hong Kong media, “TurboJET has a total of four vessels whose licenses are still valid, and if shipping service resumes, Turbo Jet can initially provide a total of 16 [trips] to and from Hong Kong and Macau, about 1/10th of what it was before the outbreak.”
He added, “We will first open up the Taipa Ferry Terminal to the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, and then we will see the situation to open up the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal and night departures.”
Andy Wu, Chairman of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, told IAG, “Industry sources say that the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal will resume service between Hong Kong and Macau on 8 January at the earliest, but because of the ship problem, the initial period will not return to the level before the pandemic.
“The shipping companies are now ready, but the Hong Kong government has not yet announced the port measures, so the Hong Kong and Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan is not open for the time being.”
Wu said the reopening of ferry services would have a positive impact on Macau’s tourism operators ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday period.
“The tourism industry is optimistic about the Chinese New Year holiday, which is expected to be the most visited holiday since the pandemic. The average number of visitors in Macau has only been about 20,000 per day recently, but if the capacity of Hong Kong and Macau is restored, it is believed that the number of visitors can increase by at least 10,000 per day.”
An initial ferry service between Hong Kong and Macau resumed on 30 December, but only between Hong Kong International Airport and Taipa Ferry Terminal and with only two departures on Friday and Sunday respectively.
