City top stop for China cruises

More than half of China's cruise passengers passed through Shanghai last year, an industry official said Thursday at a press conference.

Although the majority of the country's cruise traffic comes through Shanghai, the city faces several challenges in developing the industry as it continues its rapid growth, according to Cheng Juehao, deputy director of Shanghai International Shipping Institute.

Shanghai hosted 121 international cruise ships in 2012, up 15.2 percent over the previous year, according to the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA). The total number of cruise passengers who passed through Shanghai rose 50 percent last year to 357,539.

However, a dearth of supporting recreation facilities, local cruise companies and workers with cruise line experience have hampered development of the business in Shanghai, Cheng told Global Times.

China hosted 285 cruise ships in 2012, up 8.8 percent from the previous year, according to the CCYIA. The number of cruise passengers who passed through the country rose 31.9 percent to about 660,000.

A total of 170 international cruise ships, carrying 420,000 domestic passengers, departed China in 2012, an increase of 19.7 percent over the previous year. A total of 115 international cruise ships, carrying 240,000 tourists, visited China, down 4.2 percent year-on-year.

Despite the increase in the number of domestic cruise-goers, most Chinese tourists are only willing to take a cruise if it is cheap, said Zheng Weihang, the CCYIA's vice president and secretary-general.

For example, Chinese tourists typically prefer four- to seven-day cruises compared with the six- to eight-day cruises that are popular with international tourists.

Korea remains the hottest destination for Chinese cruise-goers.

In addition, the etiquette of Chinese cruise passengers lags behind that of their Western counterparts. "The education and training of Chinese cruise tourists needs to be better," Zheng said.