The first domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Magic City, welcomes its first group of passengers - more than 3,000 people - at the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in East China's Shanghai on January 1, 2024. On the same day, the cruise ship embarked on its maiden commercial voyage, taking passengers to popular destinations in Northeast Asia, such as Japan and South Korea. Photo: VCG

China's cruise tourism market, with a sharp rise in both Chinese and foreign passenger flows, will achieve a full recovery within two years, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, said on Wednesday, signaling strong momentum for the sector.

China's cruise tourism market is rebounding rapidly. After international cruises resumed sailing in September 2023, more than 107,000 Chinese and foreign passengers were transported during the remaining months of the year, Huo Fupeng, an NDRC official, told a press briefing on Wednesday.

In the first quarter of 2024, the industry welcomed more than 190,000 passengers, a positive growth trend, Huo said. In March, four cruise ships, comprising both Chinese and foreign vessels, simultaneously docked at a port in Shanghai, reflecting a robust cruise industry, the official said.

China remains a vast blue ocean in terms of cruise ship building, cruise operations and the cruise tourism consumer market, offering significant room for development, Huo noted.

China's first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, began operations at the start of 2024, and it has completed more than 30 voyages so far, according to the NDRC on Wednesday.

A second cruise ship was still under construction in April, and it is expected to be delivered before the end of this year, the NDRC said.

Also, Huaxia International Cruise Co has been established in Shanghai. Relevant enterprises are collaborating to jointly create a professional, market-oriented and international operational services team, according to the NDRC.

The port infrastructure for cruises is improving. Thirteen cruise embarkation ports have been created nationwide, spanning from Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province to Sanya, South China's Hainan Province. This expansion significantly boosts the transportation capacity of both domestic and international cruise ships.

"China started laying the groundwork for its cruise tourism market before the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. After two years of adjustment, we've now entered a phase of significant expansion of the industry," Song Ding, a research fellow from the China Development Institute, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"I anticipate the deployment of 10 cruise ships, with itineraries covering the globe," Song said.

"The high-end cruise market was traditionally centered around the Mediterranean and Caribbean coasts," Jiang Yiyi, a vice president of the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism at Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "Despite China's late entry, its cruise industry has swiftly gained momentum. Initially reliant on foreign cruise companies for coastal routes, China now boasts its own flourishing cruise industry." 

"Our goal is to embark on intercontinental voyages and attract foreign travelers," Jiang said.

Regulations for international cruise ships to dock and replenish at Chinese ports will come into effect on June 1, offering more convenience.

China's National Immigration Administration announced on May 15 the full implementation of a visa exemption policy for foreign tourist groups entering China on cruise ships from the country's coastal provinces and cities, with the policy taking immediate effect, showcasing China's further opening-up in its cruise tourism market.