China’s Domestic Cruise Industry Expects Expansion

Costa Victoria, a world-famous cruise liner, docks at Wusongkou International Cruise Port in Shanghai on Wednesday. The vessel will launch its Asian route, with Shanghai as its homeport, on Friday.

The world-famous Costa Victoria cruise ship completed its first voyage to China on Wednesday after arriving at the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Port.

The Costa Victoria, which will depart for the Republic of Korea on Friday, has selected Shanghai to be the homeport for its Asian route.

This year, a total of 62 international cruise liners, including the Voyager of the Seas from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, will arrive at Shanghai's specialized port for luxury cruise ships, which opened in October last year, and more than 150 will arrive in 2013, according to figures from the city's entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureau.

It is apparent that the number of cruise ships in China is rising, and they are becoming more luxurious, tourism industry analysts say. Global players in the cruise line sector are focusing on the country.

The number of cruise ships received at ports on the Chinese mainland saw an increase from 223 in 2010 to 262 in 2011, according to statistics from the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association.

Cruise liners with a high passenger capacity and shipping tonnage will increasingly select Chinese harbors to be their homeports this year now that the world's four leading cruise companies have established China-based routes.

China is at the primary stage of its cruise economy. In this phase, it is building homeports to provide comprehensive services, including berthing, replenishment and maintenance for large cruise liners, said experts.

Several cities, including Shanghai, Tianjin, Xiamen and Qingdao, have been equipped with international homeports to attract major cruise liners to set up shop there for the long term.

Tianjin, a center for cruise travel in North China, will receive nearly 40 luxury cruise liners this year and will establish new routes to Thailand and Singapore in addition to the existing ones to Japan and Korea.

Baoshan International Cruiser Homeport, another port in Shanghai, will be completed in 2015, and more than 200 voyages will be received annually after that time, according to official information.

When the cruise economy is more mature, it is important for the country to have its own cruise companies, which are registered and operated on the mainland, experts say.

Chinese enterprises and government agencies started to consider establishing cruise companies two years ago, he said, but they are cautious because of the huge investments required.