In my article published last June in this column (June 3, 2025, Time to Set A New Course for the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal), I proposed that we should capitalize on the fantastic location of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, which is very close to the Kai Tak Sports Park, a venue “reputed to be the largest sports, entertainment and mega-event complex in Hong Kong’s history”, whose rooftop garden offers the best vista of Victoria Harbour available in town, and the best pool of talented cultural performers and artists that Hong Kong has. While the West Kowloon Cultural District offers world-class performances, at and around the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, we can offer unique “grown in Hong Kong” cultural performances.
I wrote: “These venues need not be big. Smallish venues accommodating audiences of 100 to 200, with good acoustics and comfortable seating, will do. We should target multiple performances from different sectors each day. Rental charges should be accessible to small-budget troupes. Hong Kong currently sorely lacks such venues. Given the creativity of our local talent, if affordable and accessible venues are available, I am positive that in time the variety of shows will ensure that the cruise terminal will become a lure for both visitors and locals.”
Given that Kai Tak Sports Park is the largest sports, entertainment and mega-event complex in Hong Kong’s history, and it is in the vicinity of the cruise terminal, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) should have a clear vision of what we can do to make both park and terminal part of an ecosystem to build a brand name for Hong Kong’s cultural industry.
According to the tender documents, the next operator of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal will manage the entire site, including public areas. The winning bidder will manage the facility for 10 years, with an additional five years subject to satisfactory performance. Bidders are warned that underperformance could lead to financial penalties. A set of key performance indicators (KPIs) are spelled out. They include: the annual number of ship calls (no less than 85), noncruise events held (no less than 13), number of visitors attending noncruise-related events (6,500), and the occupancy rate of retail and ancillary areas (60 percent).
These KPIs are not particularly demanding. But achieving or overshooting these targets will not mean much if the benefits don’t impress visitors and fail to draw them back again in anticipation of “what is new”.
Given that Runway 1331 is adjacent to the cruise terminal, it is incumbent that the cruise terminal work closely with Runway 1331 in order to produce the ecosystem for an indigenous Hong Kong cultural industry to build a brand name that Hong Kong can be proud of
After publishing that article, I was excited to read a story about the conversion of the Kai Tak Community Isolation Facility into the “Runway 1331” youth hostel, which officially opened in October. According to one source, this project promises to become the world’s largest incubation village for the art and culture industry. Runway 1331 is not merely a youth hostel but will in time introduce various international exchange programs and innovative projects.
Currently, Runway 1331 is operated by Glorise Tourism & Culture, a subsidiary of China Travel Service. The contract is to run for five years. Given that Runway 1331 is adjacent to the cruise terminal, it is incumbent that the cruise terminal work closely with Runway 1331 in order to produce the ecosystem for an indigenous Hong Kong cultural industry to build a brand name that Hong Kong can be proud of. Runway 1331 must not be just a cheap youth hostel but must also offer easy to access and professional venues for arts and cultural performances, rehearsals and practices, and exhibition halls. While there is not much case for the cruise terminal to offer a lot of retail facilities, it will be important for it to offer restaurants and eateries. Visitors for cultural and arts events will need these facilities.
Talking about access, it is important for Runway 1331 and the cruise terminal to be mutually accessible, and for both facilities to be easily accessible to cruise passengers, other tourists, and locals. In my last article, I proposed that in addition to buses, taxis, and the MTR, access by regular ferry services from Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui would be a great help. In my view, ferries are a great complement to the cruise terminal because they offer a comfortable ride in the attractive Victoria Harbour with no traffic jams. Provided that the cruise terminal and Runway 1331 offer attractive indigenous cultural and arts performances regularly, they will become a draw for tourists from all over the world. If these facilities are well-managed, the ferries will never be short of passengers because their services will be needed by locals as well.
Because the stakes are high, we do need someone with adequate experience to coordinate the working of Runway 1331 and the cruise terminal, and the authority to do so. We cannot assume that Runway 1331 will take off automatically. Nor can we assume that bidders to operate the cruise terminal will be able to turn the vision into a reality. Let’s hope the CSTB will take proactive steps to forge a partnership between the two, so we can build a brand name for Hong Kong’s cultural industry while energizing the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.
The author is an honorary research fellow at the Pan Sutong Shanghai-Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Institute, Lingnan University, and an adjunct professor at the Academy for Applied Policy Studies and Education Futures, the Education University of Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
