From January 2010, Costa Cruises will launch regular cruise route departing from Hong Kong to Taiwan for mainland Chinese tourists.

The new route will be operated by Costa Classica and will offer 15 cruises during the year. Tourists will be able to visit Taipei, Keelung, and Taichung during the voyage.

The regular Taiwan cruise route will be scheduled to depart from Hong Kong in January, February, May, and June in 2010, and stop at Keelung port after the five-day/four-night voyage. Tourists can take day trips to Taipei, Keelung, and Taichung. The launch of the regular cruise route will boost the economic development of the destinations of the voyage. An estimated 50,000 Mainland Chinese tourists will visit Taiwan by Costa Cruises in 2010.

According to data released by China National Tourism Administration, Mainland tourists have made over 350,000 visits to Taiwan since Taiwan tours were available from the Mainland in July 2008.

(China Hodpitality News July 23, 2009)