Slice of floating cities on land

International cruise festival is part of special initiative which aims to welcome visitors to cultural performances and major sports events, Zheng Zheng reports.

As one of the major events during the Shanghai Summer International Consumption Season, the inaugural Shanghai International Cruise Festival kicked off on Aug 2, marking a new phase in the city's rapidly growing cruise economy.

Since Shanghai took the lead nationwide in resuming international cruise trial sailings in May last year, the city's cruise industry has maintained robust momentum, according to Zhu Min, director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, at a recent news conference.

Zhang Qi, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, says in the first half of 2024, Shanghai's cruise port welcomed 89 ship calls carrying around 592,700 passengers, accounting for about 70 percent of the nationwide total and recovering to around 70 percent of 2019 levels.

"We forecast around 260 cruise ship calls and 1.5 million passengers for the full year in Shanghai," Zhang says. "This cruise festival offers a rich array of themed activities allowing more residents and tourists to experience wonderful cruise lifestyles in Shanghai."

Zhang notes that efforts to amplify the effects of facilitation policies such as 144-hour visa-free transit and 15-day visa-free group tours for cruise travel may have paid off. Shanghai is enhancing shoreside collaboration, developing boutique cruise tourist routes, and attracting more international ships by promoting inbound cruise tourism.

"Hosting the inaugural cruise festival allows us to better showcase the vibrancy of Shanghai's cruise economic development and favorable business environment," Zhu adds.

Zhu explains that the monthlong festival will spotlight the unique features of various cruise lines while integrating with key commercial districts across the city to further blend cruise lifestyles with Shanghai's economic and cultural landscapes.

Highlights include a cruise lifestyle show featuring cruise ship model exhibitions, food events and more across the city. A cruise sports carnival will offer Chinese martial arts performances, health seminars, and other activities.