China to enter 'cruise era'

"Although Asian cruise market only accounts for about 0.1 percent of the global market, it is developing at a tremendous speed," said Mr William Ng Ko Seng, Chief Operating Officer of Star Cruises. That is the reason Star Cruises plans cruises from Xiamen.

The global cruise market is moving eastward. The center for the cruise industry will shift from the Mediterranean and the Baltic to Asia. That's the opinion of Wang Chi, who believes that cruises from Xiamen will attract cruise enthusiasts to fly there from every corner of the world.

"The cruise industry may become a new driving force for Xiamen in the near future," said Wang.

Cruise tourism not only brings profits from tickets, but means opportunities for other industries such as food and beverage.

Industry leaders are quick to point out challenges Chinese cruising faces.

"The first thing we should do is to improve infrastructure. International cruises are becoming larger and larger," said Lai She-Jan, president of Taiwan Visitors Association.

Lai added that only when infrastructure reaches international standards can harbors on both sides of the strait develop its services to offer customs clearance service for 2,000 tourists per hour.

Wang Chi, on the other hand, said it is difficult to locate target consumers for cruises in China.

"The major cruise tour consumers in the world are elderly people because they have spare time and money. On the Chinese mainland, most of these people cannot afford the expense," said Wang. Cruises usually last for eight days which is a luxury for young Chinese people who have few vacations year-round.