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Is China Charting a New Course with Its ‘Second Golden Age’ of Cruise Tourism?

2024-08-24 09:40:43.336000

China's cruise industry is experiencing a significant revival, marked by the maiden voyage of its first home-grown large cruise liner, the Adora Magic City, which set sail in January 2024. This development is part of a broader trend as China accounted for over 76% of global shipbuilding orders in April 2024, indicating a robust growth in its maritime capabilities. [5bbc9f54] In conjunction with these advancements, China has implemented visa-free policies that allow foreign cruise passengers to stay in the country for up to 15 days, further encouraging tourism. [db2aa51e] From January to July 2024, 17.254 million foreigners entered China, reflecting a 129.9% increase year-on-year, showcasing the effectiveness of these policies in boosting travel. [5bbc9f54] The cruise market has seen an impressive average annual growth of 52% from 2006 to 2019, and with Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises returning to China in April 2024, the industry is poised for a strong comeback. [5bbc9f54] The cruise sector is projected to be worth 550 billion yuan (approximately US$76.8 billion) by 2035, indicating a bright future ahead. [5bbc9f54] This new phase is being dubbed China's second 'golden age' of cruise tourism, following the first golden age from 2013 to 2016, which saw a remarkable 70% annual growth. [5bbc9f54] Chinese tourists currently represent 4.9% of global cruise passengers, and the industry aims for 14 million annual passenger trips by 2035. [5bbc9f54] However, despite these optimistic projections, the geopolitical climate and concerns regarding travel safety may still pose challenges to achieving these ambitious goals. [bf032acc]

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