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

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."

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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.

On Nanjing Road, a major shopping street and a must-see spot in the city, a themed marketplace will promote cruise itineraries, marine cultural creativity exhibitions, and cruise culinary experiences.

Other activities include drone performance shows, family activities hosted by Royal Caribbean Cruises, Adora Cruises, and CM Viking Cruises, as well as open house tours during port calls of cruises.

"Beyond the themed events, we will hold the launch ceremony of the festival on Saturday to promote cruise policies, itineraries, and new cruise tourism products," Zhu adds.

Cruise travel tends to generate significant outside consumption, with data showing that 75 percent of cruise passengers arriving and departing Shanghai are from other regions or overseas, according to Zhu.

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"Cruises are essentially floating cities, so we're bringing that cruise experience onto land through this festival, creating cruise-themed scenarios throughout the city while the real ships are in port," says Zhang Jie, deputy director of the Shanghai Commerce Commission.

Special promotions will also be offered, allowing cruise passengers to receive consumer benefits at designated districts by presenting their cruise tickets during the festival, according to Zhang Jie.

The Shanghai International Cruise Festival is an integral part of the Shanghai Summer initiative, which aims to welcome visitors from across the world over events covering concerts, music festivals, cultural and art performances, and major sports events.

Shanghai Statistics Bureau reported that in the first half of 2024, the city has received over 3.02 million inbound visitors, an increase of 143.5 percent from the same period of last year, consolidating its status as a premier global travel destination. Among them, over 2.2 million are foreign tourists, an increase of 191.5 percent.

Local travel agencies also found positive changes in their business, especially this summer.

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Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Shanghai Spring Tour, a major travel agency in the country, tells the news portal jiemian.com that the number of inbound travel bookings this summer exceeded that of the same period in 2019. It also shows a more diverse range of tourist nationalities than before with more visitors from European countries and America. Their stay in Shanghai was also stretched to two to four days on average this year.

Alongside over 60 events of the Shanghai Summer initiative, including the Shanghai Masters ATP 1000 and the Shanghai International Electronic Music Festival, visitors can enjoy special benefits such as discounts on international flight tickets, hotels, mobile access cards, and consumption coupons.

During the Shanghai Summer campaign period, Chanel held an exhibition at the Power Station of Art titled Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto, attracting visitors worldwide. This year, leading luxury brands including Chanel, Prada, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton have been bringing major exhibitions and collaborations with Chinese art institutions.

Contact the writer at zhengzheng@chinadaily.com.cn