Guangzhou cruise liner takers rank 2nd in Q1

The city of Guangzhou has the second largest number of cruise ship takers in China during the first quarter of 2018, Guangzhou Daily reported on May 21.

From January to March, 25 cruise ships departed from or arrived at Guangzhou, with 106, 200 total passengers.

To further promote its cruise tourism, the southern Chinese city is doubling its efforts to enhance supporting facilities construction and related policies making. Moreover, another waiting lounge will be built in Nansha which will further extend the cruise tourism industrial chain and boost the tourism industry of Nansha and surrounding regions.

Despite a late starter, Guangzhou Cruise Ship Home Port gained rapid development momentum compared to its Shanghai and Tianjin peers. Officially operational in January 2016, the home port hosted 326,000 passengers from 104 cruise vessels in that single year, ranking third in all cruise ship ports in China.

In 2017, Hong Kong-based Dream Cruises and international luxury cruise ship company Costa Crociere opened a total of eight routes between Guangzhou and 10 destinations in Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Hong Kong. In the single year, Guangzhou saw over 400,000 passengers visiting the city or leaving from the city for overseas destinations, an increase of 23.81 percent year on year.

According to Nansha tourism bureau, more preferential policies are on the way to offer incentives for cruise liners companies and travel agencies that promote cruise ship tourism and organize visitors to Nansha. Special stimulus awards without ceiling will be offered to companies operating new cruise routes.

The city also recently set up an alliance for its cruise tourism industry with 25 members including cruise liner companies, ports, travel agencies, cruise ship builders and maintenance companies.