Shanghai will establish a demonstration zone for cruise tourism, approved by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the municipal authorities said Tuesday. This comes in line with the city’s plans to set itself as a hub for cruise tourism.
A 1,700-square-meter duty-free shop inside the cruise port will open in early November, when the second China International Import Expo takes place in Shanghai, Xinhua news agency reported.
Shanghai aims to become a base for cruise companies’ headquarters across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as a world-class home port and cruise tourism destination, by further innovating the policies, expanding its regional influence and upgrading the service capability for the cruise industry, the municipal culture and tourism bureau was quoted as saying.
The Shanghai port has topped in cruise business across Asia over three consecutive years and makes up 63% of China’s cruise market.
In early June, the 348 meters long ‘Spectrum of the Seas‘ became the 2000th cruise ship to dock at Shanghai’s Wusongkou cruise port and the biggest cruise ship to be launched in Asia, revealing how Shanghai has become a hub of cruise shipping over the last years.
Shanghai maintained its 4th position to the International Shipping Centre Development (ISCD) Index 2019 issued by Xinhua and Baltic Exchange in early July.
