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Charting a bold path in the cruise industry
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China’s cruise industry is still in its infancy but cruise operators see great potential.
This presents a new opportunity for Shanghai as the city has become a major port for international cruise liners.
The industry obviously presents business opportunities for cruise ship companies and travel agencies. Yet it also offers home ports both business and job opportunities.
Shanghai, Tianjin, Xiamen in Fujian Province, Sanya in Hainan Province and Dalian in Liaoning Province are the five main cities in China that have developed international cruise ship ports.
In 2012, the five cities received 283 vessels and 660,000 passengers, among which Shanghai accounted for 42.8 percent and 54.1 percent of the respective totals. Shanghai ranks third in the Asia-Pacific region after Singapore and Hong Kong in the cruise industry.
Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan District is the busiest cruise terminal in Asia. The district is hosting the China Cruise Shipping and International Cruise Expo, which ends today, in Luodian Town.
A total of 630 delegates have participated in the two-day event, including industry experts and government officials. This year’s expo focused on strategies for developing a cruise economy, which Baoshan wants to push forward.
“Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal is a key project in Shanghai,” says Wang Hong, director of Baoshan District. “It will contribute to Shanghai becoming an international shipping center. The terminal will foster better development in the cruise travel market while it is also a great opportunity for Baoshan to transform its economy and rely less on heavy industry.”
Developed by Baoshan District and Shanghai Yangtze Shipping Corp, Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal is the biggest cruise liner terminal in Asia and cost 870 million yuan (US$142.7 million). The depot is shaped like a giant silver shell, symbolizing the “eye of the Yangtze River.”
Compared with the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal on the north Bund, the Wusongkou terminal features the advantages of deeper water and a better location, which saves six hours on an international trip.
Also, only cruise liners weighing less than 70,000 tons can berth at Shanghai Port due to height restrictions to clear Yangpu Bridge. Wusongkou has no such restriction.
Chen Xiqi, president of Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal Development Co Ltd, says the terminal this year had received 167 cruise ships and 900,000 passengers as of November 16.
Next year the terminal is expected to berth 239 vessels and receive 1.55 million passengers.
“Based on the number of passengers and vessels the terminal received, Wusongkou is the busiest in the Asia-Pacific region. We plan to build this terminal into the heart of the Asia-Pacific region’s cruise industry,” Chen says.
Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal has two main parts — a 1,700-meter-long wharf and passenger terminal.
The terminal can berth two 200,000-ton super-sized cruise vessels at one time. After expanding further, possibly by 2016, it will be able to berth four cruise ships at a time, according to Wang.
The development of the cruise economy also brings opportunities to other businesses in the area. Baoshan plans to build recreational facilities, luxurious hotels, shopping malls as well as a marina in the area.
“So far there is a green area of 150 square meters around Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal while in the future we are going to establish a business quarter. Wusongkou will eventually be like a “mini city,” Wang says.
Meanwhile, Baoshan will also try to take advantage of the new Shanghai free trade zone, Wang adds.
The district government wants to cooperate with foreign cruise companies to establish cruise service enterprises in the free trade zone. The companies will focus on cruise tours, personnel training and more.
Wang says they want to learn from foreign cruise companies to improve the industry.
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