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The meteoric rise of Shanghai as a global
cruise homeport has been underscored in a joint report by China Cruise & Yacht
Industry Association,Shanghai Hongkou District Government and Shanghai
International Shipping Institute. In terms of volume it is now the eighth
biggest homeport in the world. Alan Lam reports.
In 2014, Shanghai became the first Chinese city to reach the one-million annual
cruise tourist throughput. During the same year mainland China operated no fewer
than 466 cruises, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.78% according to
the report, including 366 homeport voyages, a 9.3% increase.
There were about 739,600 Chinese passengers who boarded the cruises from Chinese
ports. The Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal alone received 576,000
tourists during the year, surpassing Singapore as the largest cruise terminal in
Asia.
The government is keen to make China the largest cruise market in Asia-Pacific
by 2020. There is a frenzy of activity within the sector. In 2013, Shanghai
Maritime Bureau gave priority to cruise ship traffics over other commercial
vessels, thus adding further impetus to Shanghai’s cruise business.
The number of cruises that will originate from Chinese ports is expected to
reach 12 in 2015, as compared with eight in 2014. The number of Chinese mainland
tourists taking cruises will exceed one million for the first time in 2015. The
market size of the Chinese cruise industry, especially in respect to the number
of cruise tourists, will grow by at least 30% in 2015.
It seems very likely that Shanghai will soon move up from its current 8th
position. |
