China to become largest cruise tourism market in Asia Pacific

Beijing: China is set to become the largest cruise tourism market in the Asia Pacific region as marine tourism gains steam among domestic travellers in the world's second-largest economy, a Chinese official said today.

China's cruise liner ports reported 629 cruise liners leave for trips in 2015, up 35 per cent, with cross-border cruise travellers up 44 per cent, said Li Shihong, deputy head with China National Tourism Administration.

The world's top five cruise liner giants have all made forays into the Chinese market, helping China to become the largest and most dynamic cruise tourism market in the Asia Pacific region, Li told a conference on cruise tourism cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and Macao.

The government is looking to develop cruise tourism, with ports at Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao as important bases, he was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.

South China's largest cruise liner home port Prince Bay in Shenzhen opened yesterday, which can support cruise liners with up to 220,000 tonnes of displacement.