Crab, abalone and roasted duck: Hong Kong dining cruises whet appetites of mainland Chinese budget tours with buffets on board
- Tourists enjoy meals with a view as part of plan to ease congestion in residential neighbourhoods
- Lunch set includes unlimited rice, soup and seven local signature dishes, including Hong Kong-style curry chicken and Sichuan-style spicy tofu
Diners enjoyed a lunchtime cruise at Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on Wednesday in a trial of a new option for budget tour groups from mainland China, after an influx of visitors queuing at restaurants in the To Kwa Wan neighbourhood sparked complaints.
Harbour Cruise – Bauhinia, a local operator, launched a trial to receive mainland tour groups for lunch on Wednesday. About 60 tourists from northeastern provinces were the first to enjoy the daytime dining experience.
“If things go smoothly, we wish to offer lunch to tour groups regularly,” said Rockie Ip Ting-kwok, director of operations. “This is a win-win situation. We could reduce disturbances to the To Kwa Wan area and promote Hong Kong tourism.”
At around noon, the cruise left Kwun Tong ferry pier and sailed across Victoria Harbour to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai before returning. The journey took around 45 minutes.
Some of the diners on the lunch cruise were satisfied with the new arrangement, saying the view of the harbour was stunning.