At last, it seems that the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou is receiving the well-deserved attention from the cruise business. Alan Lam reports.
Up till now the focus of the booming cruise business in China has been on Shanghai, Tianjin, Sanya, Xiamen and Hong Kong. China’s third largest city Guangzhou - with the population of between 13 and 14 million, nearly twice that of Hong Kong - seems to have escaped the radar of international cruise lines. This is about to change, as more and more resources are poured into the region.
Situated only 120 kilometres northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou has long been one of the wealthiest cities in China. It is the country’s gastronomic capital with year round cruise potentials. Its mild sub-tropical climates have attracted visitors from far and wide for centuries.
Modern Guangzhou is an air, sea and land transport hub. It is also one of China’s main economic engine rooms. The city is building its own cruise homeport with an initial investment budget of RMB17 billion. Phase One of the project began in late 2014. The new terminal will include a berth for 100,000gt and one for 225,000gt vessels. Guangzhou has been looking to cooperate with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in developing this project further. A third berth is expected for completion during 2017-18.
This month, Royal Caribbean International and CITS (China International Travel Service Ltd) - China’s leading outbound travel agent – have jointly launched a six-month promotion of cruise tourism in Guangzhou.
The city has hitherto been under-promoted in the cruise world. It has been overshadowed by both Hong Kong and Shanghai. With its own cruise terminal, cruise tourism in Guangzhou is set to take off to a new height in the coming years.