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

There are 15 cruises operated by Costa Classica during the year. Tourists will be able to visit Taipei, Keelung, and Taichung during the voyage.

The Taiwan cruise route will be scheduled to depart from Hong Kong in January, February, May, and June in 2010; after the five-day/four-night voyage stop at Keelung. Tourists can have 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. It is estimated that 50,000 mainland Chinese tourists will visit Taiwan by Costa Cruises in 2010.

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