(ECNS) - Ten governmental departments have vowed to promote the cruise industry in China with an aim to increase the number of cruise passengers to 14 million by 2035.
The notice, issued by departments including the Ministry of Transport and the National Development and Reform Commission, says China will expand a policy allowing foreign tourists from cruise ships to stay in China for up to 15 days without visas, provided they leave the country on the same cruise ships.
The number of domestic cruise passengers has increased by more than 40 percent annually since 2006 and reached 2.43 million in 2017, driving the sector and related industries, Wu Chungeng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport, said at a press conference.
Wu added that the domestic cruise market is still in its infancy and there is a big gap in many fields such as the design and building of cruise liners, the development of cruise ports and the cultivation of tourism markets, passenger services and logistics.
China aims to become one of the most dynamic cruise markets in the world by 2035, with an entire industry chain taking shape and dramatic progress achieved in cruise investment structure, technology, ships, lines, emergency response and services. Among the measures, Shanghai has been chosen to build a global supply center for cruise ships.
