Ferry operator TurboJet says it wants to boost passenger numbers to pre-pandemic levels by collaborating with casino operators to offer ferry and concert ticket combos.
According to local media reports, the number of daily trips the company operates to and from Hong Kong has increased from 16 to over 60 since January 2023, when Covid-19 travel restrictions were lifted. Sailings now take place roughly every 30 minutes during the daytime and hourly at night.
However, the director of TurboJET’s business and service department, Wong Man Chung, pointed out that the operator’s current schedule has only recovered to about 50 percent of its pre-pandemic level and that it is currently unable to offer a late night service. A shortage of qualified ferry captains is partly to blame.
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In order to attract more passengers during the recent Labour Day break, TurboJet launched a promotion that saw tickets offered for as low as HK$25.
TurboJet recorded a modest profit of just HK$10 million last year. Its parent company, Shun Tak Holdings Limited reported losses of HK$677 million (US$86.5 million) during the same year.
Since the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in 2018, ferry operators have been hit with serious competition from buses, which are far cheaper than ferries and can make the journey in about 30 minutes instead of 70 minutes by boat.
