Some of the major port cities of China have been witnessing a steady growth thanks to an increase in the number of inbound and outbound cruise vessels that arrived here in 2016, as per the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association.
The number of outbound and inbound Chinese cruise travellers had reached 1,040 in 2016 and had topped 2 million for the very first time.
It is expected to reach 2.6 million in 2017m according to the association. By the year 2020, the Chinese would undertake about 3.5 million cruise trips annually thereby becoming the most dynamic cruise market in the Asia-Pacific region.
China has become the eight-largest cruise market across the world.
As of 2016, there were 18 cruise vessels that were operating in the major port cities of China that marks an increase from just a single cruise ship in the year 2006. It was then that China finally started developing its cruise industry vigorously.
Li Qinggang, director of Tianjin Dongjiang Maritime Safety Administration said that the cruise industry of China possesses immense growth potential in the following years.
The largest port in Asia, Tianjin international cruise home port had welcomed 138 voyages in 2016 and is expected to receive 150 in the year 2017.
