China News Service, Shanghai, April 6 (Reporter Li Jiajia) On April 6, the cruise ship "Meschiff" carrying more than 2,500 people arrived at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Port. A group of passengers came from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other countries. Tourists disembark from the cruise ship and enter Shanghai, where they start a two-day inbound city sightseeing experience.
Shanghai has long been the preferred port of entry for inbound tourists, an important node for domestic circulation in China, and a strategic link for domestic and international dual circulation. The number of foreign tourists visiting Shanghai has grown steadily this year, and the inbound tourism market has accelerated its recovery. The recovery of the cruise industry deserves special attention, as more and more overseas tourists choose to go to Shanghai for cruise travel.
From January to March in 2024 alone, Shanghai received a total of 10 cruise ships and 22,379 passengers. It is expected to receive a total of 18 cruise ships and 40,306 passengers throughout the year. As the most important port of visit in China, cruise tourism not only drives the development of the industry itself, but also drives the coordinated development of related industries in Shanghai, making significant contributions to expanding domestic demand, releasing consumption potential, cultivating development momentum, and promoting domestic and international dual cycles.
As the first cruise home port in Asia and the fourth in the world, Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal has successfully created a "new business card" for Shanghai's cruise tourism economy, injecting new impetus into the cruise industry in China and even Asia.
A jubilant dragon and lion dance welcomed the cruise ship "Maishif" to Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Port. Photo by Jiang Xiaowei
On the same day, a short and warm welcome ceremony for the arrival of the cruise ship started the Shanghai journey of the inbound tourists of the "Maishif". The Shanghai Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau presented "A Bag of Shanghai" cultural and creative products to tourists, bringing the beauty of "first sight of Shanghai" and "first sight of China" to tourists at home and abroad who come to Shanghai for leisure and leisure. Among them, Shanghai's intangible The Rongqingtang sachet, a cultural heritage protection project, is particularly popular with overseas tourists. This sachet was "blessed" by the abbot of Longhua Ancient Temple, a thousand-year-old temple in Shanghai. It is made from ancient Chinese medicine recipes that have been passed down for hundreds of years. It warms the spleen and strengthens the spleen, and is fragrant to ward off filth. It contains profound traditional cultural heritage.
In order to make "Easy to Travel" more "Easy to Travel", the event specially invites relevant banking and financial institutions to popularize the payment conditions for Shanghai travel to inbound tourists. Shanghai Construction Bank arranged German-speaking staff at the event to provide one-on-one services to foreign tourists, introducing CCB's services for foreigners visiting China such as foreign card swiping, foreign card cash withdrawal, change exchange, digital renminbi and other services. It is reported that in order to continue to optimize the payment experience of overseas visitors to China, 332 branches of Shanghai Construction Bank currently provide small-note cash exchange services, and are equipped with a variety of "coin purses" with a total price of 200 yuan, 300 yuan, 500 yuan, etc., for those who come to China. A green channel is provided for customers exchanging change. In order to adapt to the payment habits of foreigners who swipe and swipe their cards, Shanghai Construction Bank has also stepped up efforts to transform the equipment of key merchants. More than 1,700 supermarket convenience stores have been added to support foreign card acceptance, with a total of more than 3,000 merchants covering star hotels, department stores, supermarkets, Tourist attractions, famous restaurants, etc. also provide wild card POS in core business districts such as Nanjing Road, Jing'an Temple, Xujiahui, etc. As the preferred tool for foreign tourists to pay and withdraw cash in China, UnionPay has prepared payment manuals and arrangements for inbound tourists. German-speaking volunteers help answer questions and help tourists quickly understand domestic payment methods. Tourists can also apply for a travel pass card on-site in the Union QuickPass APP and recharge it through other foreign cards, and then scan the code to pay conveniently in major business districts and attractions in Shanghai.
According to China International Travel Service Co., Ltd., the destination for this trip, the "Maishif" that docked at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal this time belongs to TUI Cruises. TUI Cruises is jointly funded and founded by the German TUI Group and the American Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. It has been operating since 2009 and is committed to providing high-end cruise travel experience. The "Maishif", which will perform route missions in Asian waters from March to April 2024, was launched for the first time in 2016. Nearly 90% of the passengers on this flight were German passengers, and some were from Austria, Switzerland and other countries.
According to Sun Peng, general manager of the entry department of China International Travel Service Co., Ltd., during the Shanghai tourism period, the local airport provides tourists with 16 unique Shanghai travel routes, such as Shanghai Impression Route, Shanghai Classic Route, and Shanghai Grand Tour. Tour routes, etc., organize tourists to visit Lujiazui Pudong Financial Center, the Bund, Yuyuan Old Town, Shanghai Museum, Hengfu Scenic Area, Zhujiajiao Ancient Town and other famous scenic spots in Shanghai, so as to deeply experience the beauty of Shanghai, a city that embraces hundreds of rivers and blends ancient and modern times.
On April 7, the "Silver Shadow" cruise ship carrying more than 300 people will arrive at the Shanghai Port International Passenger Transport Center. The award-winning "Silver Shadow" weighs 28,258 gross tons. It was built and launched in 2000 and renovated in 2019. It is one of the most popular cruise ships in the Silversea fleet.
According to statistics from the Shanghai Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, Shanghai will receive 3.6446 million inbound tourists in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 476.84%. (over)