TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After a hiatus of more than three years, Port of Keelung welcomed two international cruise ships on Tuesday (March 7) and is looking forward to hosting 72 cruise ships and more than 280,000 passengers this year.

According to a press release by the Port of Keelung, two cruise ships, Regent Seven Seas Explorer and Westerdam, docked at the harbor on Tuesday. During a ceremony to mark the return of cruises, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said the city government will build tourist resources.

Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Chi Wen-chung (祁文中) said that during the pandemic, Port of Keelung completed the construction of the east and west passenger centers and deepened the wharf to allow vessels of larger tonnage to dock. In addition, customs equipment was optimized to enable faster customs clearance for tourists, Chi added.

Taiwan International Ports Corp. (TIPC) Chairman Lee Hsien-yi (李賢義) said to revive cruise tourism, the company offered incentives for cruise liners to make calls in Taiwan, including “free anchorage” and “free passenger service when reaching a certain number of scheduled calls.”

The 72 expected cruise ship calls at Keelung in 2023 are estimated to bring more than NT$1 billion (US$32 million) in tourism dollars.