The Hong Kong Cruise & Yacht Industry Association announced on Friday that it has relocated to Singapore, saying it's following the lead of international cruise ships.

The association said it made the move this month after taking into account operating costs and that a lot of international operators have switched their focus to the city state.

The group's chief executive, Kara Yeung, said other cities did more than Hong Kong to support the sector's recovery after the Covid pandemic.

"Hong Kong was relatively lacking behind," she said.

"Only a few cruises came to the region this summer, and none of them call the SAR as their home port."

The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said Hong Kong has been promoting the recovery of the cruise industry.

It said cruise ship arrivals this year have returned to pre-Covid levels, and it is working hard to increase the number of ship calls.