Cruise ships are suspended on a large scale, and cruise ships that are still operating normally have a low load factor
The pandemic is in pain, where does the cruise ship go?
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With the advantages of no need to plan travel routes, no need to rush to travel, and rich experience programs, cruise travel is becoming more and more popular.
Affected by the epidemic in the past two years, cruise ships have been suspended on a large scale, causing serious damage to the industry.
Although facing the pandemic, there is a bright future for the development of cruise travel in the long run.
At present, the penetration rate of China's cruise tourism market is only 0.1%, and the domestic market has great growth potential.
"The Pianist on the Sea" is my favorite movie. It makes me often fantasize about life on a cruise ship. Outside the porthole is the endless sea, away from the hustle and bustle of the world." On November 7, netizen Ye Zhen ended an 8 day 7 The late cruise trip, "as if experiencing a short dream."
In recent years, with the improvement of social consumption levels, the demand for leisure travel has moved to a higher level. With the advantages of no need to plan travel routes, no need to rush the itinerary, and rich experience programs, cruise travel has become more and more popular.
However, due to the epidemic in the past two years, cruise ships have been suspended on a large scale, causing serious damage to the industry.
Experts said that despite the pandemic, the prospects for the development of cruise travel are broad in the long run. The domestic market has greater growth potential. Facing the challenge of the epidemic, the cruise industry should actively seek changes and create more attractive tourism products.
Cruise is the destination
Cruise ships are large passenger ships that sail along water tourist routes and berth at one or several sightseeing spots.
In addition to the means of transportation and accommodation, the entertainment facilities and services of the cruise ship itself are also an important part of the cruise travel.
Ye Zhen participated in the "Charming South China Sea Journey" cruise from Shekou, Shenzhen to Sanya, Hainan.
On her cruise ship, there are not only the accommodation environment and service level of star-rated hotels, but also various cultural and entertainment programs, such as theater performances, movie screenings, humanities lectures, and tea performances.
In addition, leisure and entertainment facilities such as swimming pools, nail salons, spas, and massage pools are all available.
Ye Zhen, a self-proclaimed "travel madman", has a wealth of travel experience, but when she embarks on a cruise, she is still attracted by the Nordic-style decoration and humanistic atmosphere on board.
"Not only is the decoration beautiful, but there are many activities waiting for you every day." Recalling the experience of this cruise, Ye Zhen said that he was addicted, "Every day there are surprises, which make people always keep the freshness of travel and stay on the boat for a week. It won’t be boring."
For many tourists, the cruise ship itself is the destination.
Ye Zhenzhen believes that a cruise ship is like a big "home", allowing people to truly relax during travel.
Middle-aged and elderly people are the main force in cruise travel
Among the domestic inland river cruises, the Three Gorges route of the Yangtze River, which starts from Chongqing in the west and Yichang in Hubei in the east, passes through Shennong Creek, Baidicheng, Three Gorges Dam and other well-known attractions along the way. It has a high reputation among travel enthusiasts.
According to statistics from the cultural and tourism departments of Hubei and Chongqing, there are 168 A-level tourist attractions in the Three Gorges area of the Yangtze River. In 2020, the region will receive 170 million tourists.
In the past two years, Hubei and Chongqing have also jointly promoted a series of cooperation, including the development of new environmentally friendly sightseeing cruise ships, the construction of international cruise ship home ports, and the development of cross-provincial and municipal cruise ship sightseeing and holiday routes.
According to a staff member of the Three Gorges Cruise Ship, because cruise travel is more convenient, tourists do not need to worry about accommodation and itinerary arrangements. “Moreover, the pace is relatively slow, so there are more middle-aged and elderly tourists on board.” The reporter integrated a number of data analysis agencies and Data from online tourism companies found that middle-aged and elderly tourists (over 50 years old) are the main force in cruise travel, accounting for more than 30%.
The reporter learned that as of November 4th, 12 passenger transport companies operating inter-provincial Three Gorges tours have been suspended due to the impact of the current round of the epidemic, and some cruise ships have encountered the embarrassing situation that they have ended before reopening.
Promote static operations to prepare for industry recovery
At present, although cruise ships in some domestic port cities are still operating normally, due to the prevention and control of the epidemic, the full load rate is low and the operating pressure is relatively high.
"On many cruise ships, there may be more staff than passengers." Ye Zhen said.
Zeng Bowei, director of the China Tourism Economics and Policy Research Center of Beijing Union University, believes that despite the impact of the epidemic, the cruise market has experienced a sharp decline in transaction volume, but in the long run, the development situation remains positive.
On the one hand, China has a coastline of 18,000 kilometers along the coast, and supporting facilities such as ports and docks have been formed. Several coastal cities have provided product support for cruise travel. The country has good conditions for short, medium and long-term cruise travel.
On the other hand, cruise travel, as a new lifestyle of leisure and vacation, has broad development prospects. At present, the penetration rate of China's cruise travel market is only 0.1%, which is much lower than that of European and American countries and has great growth potential.
Recently, the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of Tianjin's Cruise Industry (2021-2025) (Draft for Comment)" mentioned that during the recovery period, the static operation of cruise ships should be promoted, and cruise tourism, accommodation and catering, parent-child travel, and senior citizens should be vigorously developed. Service formats such as travel, research and study tours, business reception, company annual meetings, wedding banquets, etc. conserve the popularity of the cruise market.
Zeng Bowei said that for the cruise travel industry, the epidemic has brought both challenges and opportunities.
The domestic cruise ship industry can take this opportunity to expand its business ideas, such as polishing cruise ship products, developing classic tourism routes, and attracting more consumers. It should also focus on building cruise ship brands and upgrading cruise ship manufacturing technology to prepare for the industry's recovery after the epidemic.