The 2017-2018 China Cruise Development Report (Cruise White Paper) has been released by the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA), the Asia Cruise Academy of Shanghai Maritime University and the Cruise and Yacht Terminal Branch of the China Ports and Harbours Association.

The paper goes into detail on the latest developments in the Chinese cruise market.

From January to August (2018), cruise ship calls decreased by 10 percent, the paper said, while passenger capacity in homeports was up 5.5 percent, attributed to larger ships.

Zheng Weihang, executive vice president and secretary general of CCYIA, secretary general of China Cruise Development Expert Committee and director of the editorial committee for Cruise White Paper, noted that the Chinese cruise market has undergone significant changes in 2017 and 2018 with slower growth in the number of passengers and voyages, referring to 2018 as a market adjustment period.

The paper said the cruise industry needs to think thoroughly about the important issues, including increasing efforts to promote inbound tourism, promoting the product, improving shore excursions and developing more itineraries.