The cruise shipping industry of China has been moving into the next decade of development of a whole industrial chain. Presently, emerging cruise economy has attracted close attention of state leaders, that the General Secretary Xi Jinping investigated on cruise ports for three times and witnessed significant events of cruise industrial, and Premier Li Keqiang showed concern for the cruise industry for three times, have greatly encouraged the cruise industry peers.
According to statistics made by CCYIA, China’s 11 cruise ports in Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Zhoushan, Wenzhou, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Haikou and Sanya received a total of 1,181 ship-times of cruises (increasing by 17% year on year) and served 4,954,960 person-times of cruise passengers leaving or entering the country (increasing by 8% year on year) in 2017. As an emerging cruise city and a cruise hub for South China, Shenzhen has achieved impressive results since the official opening of Shekou Taizi Bay Cruise Port on October 31, 2016. It ushered in the berthing of 10 cruise ships from nine cruise companies, operated a total of 109 voyages of cruise ships and served nearly 190,000 person-times of cruise passengers in 2017.
China-ASEAN Cooperation Forum for Cities with Cruise Industry was held on December 16, 2015. The forum adopted the Initiative for China-ASEAN Cities to Jointly Promote Cruise Economy Development, which covered the main contents including: striving to promote convenient customs clearance for cruise tourism between China and ASEAN countries; jointly promoting information sharing and inter-connection in the cruise industry between China and ASEAN countries; strengthening personnel exchange and communication among China - ASEAN cities with cruise industry; jointly developing new cruise lines between China and ASEAN countries; actively establishing partnership among all cruise ports in China and ASEAN for them to be home ports and deliver passenger source for each other; and strengthening cooperation and development for the cruise tourism support industry in China and ASEAN countries. In recent years, cruise tourism has developed rapidly as an emerging cooperation format for marine tourism between China, and especially South China, and ASEAN. Driving the development of relevant industries based on the core of cruise tourism, the cruise economy has broad prospects and is more conducive to jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
CCS is an excellent opportunity for all parties in the cruise industry to strengthen communication, discuss cooperation, and seek common development. It can further promote the market position of Taizi Bay Cruise Home Port and the market share of the cruise market in South China, strengthen international cruise companies’ recognition of Shenzhen cruise market and substantially promote the building of the Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Cruise Tourism Experimental Zone and Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macro Greater Bay Area. It supports the national Belt and Road Initiative and the strategy of maritime power construction.
Therefore, CCS13, jointly sponsored by China Merchants Group and China Communications and Transportation Association, and organized by CCYIA, China Merchants Shekou Holdings, Transport Commission of Shenzhen Municipality and Culture, Sports and Tourism Administration of Shenzhen Municipality, is to be held in Shenzhen from November 1 to 3. The theme of the Conference is “New Era, New Features and New Layout”. Centered on the theme, CCS13 will carry out multi-aspect and multi-level in-depth exchanges and forums, and organize exhibition and demonstration for the full industry chain.