China will today start work on the compilation of an industry standard for its cruise sector and a unified national tourism service standard for its international cruise ports, said an industry official yesterday.
The study on the standard, initiated by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA), is likely to be completed by October, said Zheng Weihang, deputy president of CCYIA.
According to Zheng, the cruise tourism sector may see skyrocketing growth over the next three years, as more and more Chinese tourists opt to travel by cruise ships for leisure and vacations.
Zheng said CCYIA is working closely with some large State-owned companies and enterprises from Hong Kong and Taiwan, to launch a domestic cruise line company. The new company would operate cruise lines from the mainland's south to north, and also across the Taiwan Straits.
A cruise ship parked at the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal. Coastal ports in China received 156 international cruise ships last year. [China Daily]
The nation's coastal ports including Shanghai and Tianjin received 156 international cruise ships in 2009, an increase of 39.3 percent over 2008, said a CCYIA report.
The surging volumes clearly indicate that the nation's cruise industry is poised for a take off, as the mainstream North American market reported a 1.5 percent fall in numbers due to the economic crisis, said Zheng.
During 2009, over 200,000 Chinese tourists chose to travel abroad, mostly to Japan and South Korea on cruise ships from domestic ports, an increase of 82 percent over 2008.
Shanghai, the metropolis that is vying to become an international shipping center, saw an 83 percent increase in the number of tourists it received last year. Officials are also taking steps to make the city an attractive destination for cruise line operators.
Ying Mingyong, vice-head of Hongkou district, the cruise ship hub in Shanghai, said yesterday that local authorities have worked out a spectrum of policies, such as loan and land subsidies and operation tax exemption, to lure more international cruise liners.
Besides, Shanghai, as the host city of the 2010 World Expo, is expected to see at least 74 international cruise liners docking at the North Bund from May to October this year.
"China, or East Asia in a broader sense, has become an important stop for major cruise firms, with its unique culture, tourism resources and abundant market potential," said Xiao Baojia, director for cruise economy at the Shanghai International Shipping Institute.
The central authorities' started focusing on cruise economy at the beginning of last year, after a State Council meeting in March 2009 called for better promotion and standardization of the industry.
China has three international homeports for cruise liners at Shanghai, Xiamen in Fujian province and Sanya in Hainan province. Tianjin, a port in North China, has completed the basic infrastructure for a homeport and is expected to receive cruise ships later this year.
