China’s cruise market sees continuous recovery in H1

China’s cruise market saw a robust recovery in the first half of 2024, with cruise ships carrying about 500,000 passengers, recovering to over 50 percent of the level during the same period in 2019.

Passenger turnover in the second quarter outstripped that of the first quarter by nearly 60 percent. The cruise market is expected to continue to recover steadily.

To date, over 20 cruise ships are operating in Chinese ports. Among these, 17 ships from various cruise companies, including Chinese cruise company China Merchants Viking Cruises and Switzerland-headquartered MSC Cruises, have resumed cruise trips that depart from multiple ports in China. These ports include Tianjin, Qingdao, and Shanghai, among others, with the ships ferrying passengers to ports in countries including Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

This photo taken on May 26, 2024 shows the cruise ship Adora Magic City docking at the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

China’s cruise market is recovering rapidly, with the integration of transport and tourism yielding positive results, according to an official with the water transport bureau of the Ministry of Transport (MOT).

China announced the full resumption of international cruise ship transport to and from its ports in September 2023, with pilot programs set in Shanghai and Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province. Since then, the pent-up demand for cruise tourism has been released, said an official with the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration. The official added that 88 cruise ships docked at Shanghai Port in the first five months of this year, serving 281,700 passengers across 19 routes.

Data shows that 201 international cruise ships entered and exited ports in Shanghai in the first half of this year, a significant year-on-year increase. Cruise ports in Shanghai are expected to handle over 380 inbound and outbound cruise ships.

Shenzhen has also seen a strong recovery of international cruise ships. Since the resumption of international cruise voyages, 19 international cruise ships have arrived at the Shekou Cruise Homeport, serving over 19,000 passengers, said an official with the Shenzhen Maritime Safety Administration.

Major cruise lines are increasing their presence in the Chinese market. MSC Cruises returned to China on March 16, 2024, with its flagship vessel, the MSC Bellissima, resuming home port operations from the Chinese mainland in Shanghai. Royal Caribbean International announced that it would continue to strengthen its presence in the Chinese market between 2025 and 2026. Adora Cruises, a Chinese cruise company, said it would offer cruise routes from China to Southeast Asian countries in the future.

China’s improved business environment and stronger policy support are key to the significant growth in the number of cruise voyages and accelerated expansion of cruise routes in the country.

China has improved the distribution of cruise ports along its coast line and implemented a comprehensive system of safety supervision and service standards for cruise ship transport. Together, this creates a favorable environment for promoting the sustainable and healthy development of the cruise economy, said an official with the water transport bureau of the MOT.

As a new economic growth point, the cruise industry involves a wide range of fields such as shipbuilding, transportation, culture, and tourism, with a long industrial chain, said an official with the water transport bureau of the MOT. They added that further development of the cruise sector will contribute to expanding domestic demand and stabilizing growth.

According to a report released by the Cruise Lines International Association, the number of ocean-going cruise passengers in the world is forecasted to reach 39.5 million in 2027.

Domestic cruise companies are becoming important players in the Chinese cruise market. Industry experts believe that the rise of domestic cruise companies will further promote the development of China’s cruise industry.

In 2019, China became the world’s second-largest market for cruise ship passengers. “China is the world's second-largest source of cruise passengers, with 20 million potential cruise travelers, and the country’s cruise industry enjoys bright prospects,” said Zheng Weihang, executive vice president of the China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association.