Ferry services between Macao and downtown Guangzhou can be expected to start in “the coming months”, according to the operators of the Pazhou Ferry Terminal in the provincial capital’s Haizhu district.
China Daily reports that the terminal had a soft opening on 14 April in time for the 133rd China Import and Export Fair, offering visas on arrival to foreign passengers.
The terminal is located on the southern bank of the Pearl River, near the China Import and Export Fair complex – one of the country’s major convention and exhibition centres.
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Currently, ferry services are available between Pazhou and downtown Hong Kong as well as Hong Kong airport.
According to Guangzhou customs authorities, the new ferry services will “accelerate the connectivity” of cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Officials in both Macao and Hong Kong have pledged to increase integration with the GBA where business confidence is soaring. A survey, published last month by Standard Chartered and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, found that market expectations in the GBA had strengthened significantly as the region emerged from the economic shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic.
