Feasibility Study and Masterplan of a Cruise Port

Requirements

We were appointed to develop a masterplan for a new port in Hon Gai, Vietnam. The intention is to develop a Cruise Terminal to attract cruise ships to call at the UNESCO world heritage area of Ha Long Bay whilst minimising the environmental impact of the development.

The proposed site for the terminal was a disused coal wharf built in early 1900’s by the colonial power, France. The historic structure had unique features, including a deck supported by spanning arches that required extensive background research and analysis before key decision on the required refurbishment could be taken. 

Solutions

The work undertaken involved a prefeasibility study, a feasibility study and the preparation of a masterplan for the proposed development, followed by preliminary design studies for the development. The masterplan included:

• Site selection;
• Analysis of the asian cruise market;
• Development of a marketing plan focussed on growing cruise traffic & identification of design cruise ships to future-proof the terminal;
• Identification and mitigation of the environmental impact of the terminal;
• Estimation of the economic impact of the terminal & development of a business case for the terminal.

Benefits

The market investigation and feasibility studies required consideration of how cruise ships could be attracted to use the terminal, how the hinterland could benefit from the development of the terminal and how the environmental impacts of the area caused by additional tourist traffic could be minimised and mitigated.