Amid the global recovery in cruise ship travel, the revived Chinese market is eyeing unprecedented opportunities that are expected to usher in a new golden era for the industry, experts said.
At the end of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, China was the world's second-largest cruise ship travel market after the United States, said Zheng Weihang, executive vice-president and secretary-general of the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association.
With Chinese and multinational cruise companies recently resuming operations, China is confident it can return to the 2019 level within two years, and kick-start a new lucrative period for the industry starting in 2026, Zheng said.
A joint guideline issued by ten government agencies, including the Ministry of Transport, aims to grow the Chinese cruise market into one of the most dynamic ones in the world, with annual passenger trips expected to reach 14 million by 2035.
Compared with the last cruise ship travel boom from 2008 to 2017, the new "golden decade" is expected to have different characteristics, including more tailor-made cruise products and joint development of the sector's industrial chain, Zheng said.
"We are going to see more diversified cruise trip options, a rising number of people devoted to the cruise industry, and a wider array of guest services on cruise ships supplied from China," he said.
Global players
On Saturday, Switzerland-headquartered MSC Cruises resumed its Chinese port operations in Shanghai. Its flagship vessel, the MSC Bellissima, became the first international cruise liner to sail from the Chinese mainland since the pandemic.
"This marks an important milestone in the global cruise industry's recovery," said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, at a ceremony on Friday to celebrate the event.
"The restart of international cruise operations from China sends a strong signal to the world, and we are glad to experience the incredible speed of recovery here in the Chinese cruise market."
Onorato said the resumption of operations reaffirms his company's commitment to China, which remains as strong as ever.
"China continues to play an important strategic role for MSC Cruises," he said.
The 172,000-gross-tonnage MSC Bellissima is the largest cruise ship operating in Asia. The liner can accommodate up to 5,686 guests in 2,217 cabins. MSC Cruises is the world's third-largest cruise operator by passenger capacity.
"We are fulfilling our commitment to bringing to the region a modern Asian flagship and we are dedicated to further investing in China and benefiting the local economy," Onorato said.
On Friday, MSC Cruises also announced its 2024-25 winter schedule for China, with two ships to operate from four Chinese ports in the first year of the company's return to the region.
"This is the right time for growth. That's why we are very confident that China's market was waiting to see more ships," Onorato said.
