Xiamen International Cruise Terminal in China has just closed its current cruise season with a doubled number of arrivals. Alan Lam reports.
As another clear sign of the booming cruise business in the region, China’s southern cruise port, the only significant international cruise passenger facility in the cruise tourism pilot province of Fujian, has reported a doubling of its cruise passenger arrival numbers to the city, reaching 50,000, with 21 ship calls.
The port authority is delighted with the result and vowed to continue its effort in further increasing the number for the coming years. It is likely that this momentum will be at least maintained, possibly increased, next year, as it has secured the largest service contract in its brief history - the terminal will provide a 40-day homeport service to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL ) during the 2015 season.
Proportionately, Xiamen is one of the better performing international cruise facilities in China besides those in Shanghai and Tianjin. The terminal also hosts ferry services to and from Taiwan.