Recent industry reports released by some international organizations show that the global cruise industry is showing a stable recovery trend. The latest data released by the International Cruise Association shows that the global cruise passenger volume will reach 31.7 million in 2023, an increase of 7% compared to 2019. The entire industry is expected to continue its growth trend in 2024, with passenger volume expected to increase to 35.7 million, a year-on-year increase of nearly 13%. According to research by the data statistics website Statista, the global cruise industry's revenue is expected to exceed $30 billion in 2024, and the industry's annual revenue growth rate will reach over 5% between 2024 and 2028. The potential of China's cruise market is enormous. On July 23rd, the "Aida Mediterranean" cruise ship docked at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port. Foreign tour groups on cruise ships enjoy visa free policies and can visit Tianjin for sightseeing and sightseeing without the need for visas. Our family has been wanting to visit China for a long time. The visa free policy is very convenient and will definitely attract more and more foreign tourists to come to China, "said a Bulgarian tourist. Statistics show that as of July 30th, Tianjin Cruise Port has released over 400000 inbound and outbound personnel and more than 170 inbound and outbound cruise ships since its resumption in September 2023. Since the beginning of this year, the global cruise tourism and Chinese tourism markets have rapidly recovered. On May 15th, the National Immigration Administration fully implemented the visa free policy for foreign tourist groups entering the country by cruise ship, increasing the number of cruise ports eligible for visa free entry to 13. Thanks to this visa free policy and 24-hour/144 hour transit visa free policy, international passengers on board can go ashore for sightseeing without applying for visas, greatly enhancing the convenience and attractiveness of travel. China's port cities have also introduced a series of measures to promote the continued rise of cruise tourism. In recent years, China's cruise industry has developed rapidly and has become the world's second-largest cruise market. In the first half of this year, the passenger volume of Chinese cruise ships was about 500000, which has recovered to more than half of the same period in 2019. The passenger volume of cruise ships in the second quarter increased by nearly 60% compared to the first quarter. Taking Shanghai Port as an example, in the first half of this year, the number of international cruise ships entering and leaving Shanghai Port reached 201, a significant increase compared to the same period last year. It is expected that the number of inbound and outbound cruise ships at Shanghai Cruise Port will exceed 380 for the whole year. Since its commercial maiden voyage on January 1st this year, China's first domestically produced large cruise ship, the "Aida Modu", has completed a total of 49 voyages and served over 200000 passengers. The construction of the second domestically produced large cruise ship has also entered an acceleration period, and is expected to be named and delivered before the end of 2026. Yang Guobing, Chairman of CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co., Ltd., said that relying on the independent design, construction, and operation of domestically produced large cruise ships, China's cruise industry is transforming from the previous "passing economy" of cruise ships to a full industry chain ecosystem covering cruise ship operation, design and construction, supporting supply chain, and other fields. Brian King, a professor of tourism management at Texas A&M University in the United States, believes that China's progress in cruise ship construction is one of the powerful proofs of China's continuous progress in industrial technology and a more mature tourism consumption market. The report from the International Cruise Association points out that the rapid growth of China's cruise industry is due to the overall planning of the Chinese government in industrial development and continuous investment in infrastructure construction. The stable development of the macro economy and the continuous expansion of the middle-income group are important reasons for the rapid development of China's cruise market. Aida Cruise stated, "We believe that China's cruise tourism industry will continue to maintain a good growth trend." The industry as a whole has entered a period of benign development, and the global cruise industry has a history of about 200 years. The modern cruise industry relies on large cruise ships and focuses on cross-border tourism as its core business, which has gained increasing popularity among consumers. Cruise tourism has become a high-end product in the current tourism market. According to the International Cruise Association, the direct contribution of the cruise industry to the global economy in 2022 is $137.6 billion, creating over 1.2 million job opportunities. Cruise tourism currently accounts for about 2% of the overall global tourism industry, with enormous potential for future development. Kelly Craighead, CEO of the International Cruise Association, stated that since 2023, the cruise industry as a whole has entered a period of positive development, with significant growth in key indicators such as tourist numbers and corporate revenue. This trend is expected to be maintained this year, and the future development prospects are optimistic. According to a report by the International Cruise Association, the revenue of the US cruise market is expected to reach 15.1 billion US dollars in 2024, and the market size is expected to exceed 17 billion US dollars by 2028, with an estimated 14 million tourists; The income and tourist scale of the European cruise industry have reached the level before the COVID-19 epidemic, and it is expected to maintain an annual growth rate of nearly 1% in the next five years. The cruise industry in the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, with an average annual growth rate of 19.6%, which will become the biggest driving force for the development of the global cruise industry. With the overall recovery of the cruise industry, orders for large cruise ships continue to increase. Since the beginning of this year, Carnival Group has signed an order for two 180000 ton liquefied natural gas powered cruise ships with the German shipyard Mayer. Royal Caribbean Group has signed an order for a 220000 gross tonnage cruise ship with French Atlantic Shipyard. Norwegian Cruise Holdings and Italian Fincantieri Group jointly announced in April that they had reached an agreement on the order of 8 new large cruise ships of type 3. This is the largest single order announced to have reached an agreement in the global cruise market since 2019. In 2024, the number of ocean going cruise ships operated by operators under the International Cruise Association is expected to exceed 300 for the first time, and by 2028, an additional 56 new cruise ships will be delivered for use worldwide. According to statistics, the overall debt levels of the world's three major cruise groups, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Holdings, have decreased by 7% in 2023. Among them, Royal Caribbean's expected revenue in 2024 is expected to increase by 5.5% compared to 2019. Jason Libotti, the CEO of the group, stated that the cruise industry has overcome the crisis and will move towards a healthier direction. "Once the industry is on track, it is expected to usher in a period of rapid development." The global cruise industry is focusing on transformation and development during the summer season, and the "Aida Magic City" has held a 2024 summer parent-child themed event, providing a series of exclusive cultural experiences that integrate cultural innovation and summer fun. In the past few months, the "Aida Magic City" has launched a series of special activities such as "cruise+intangible cultural heritage" cultural experience, folk song themed voyage, tea culture themed voyage, and maritime reading festival. Creating distinctive brands has become a major new trend in the cruise industry in recent years. Major cruise operators around the world have increased their transformation efforts, launching more distinctive and personalized products to meet the needs of consumers at different levels. Digital transformation is also an important trend in the development of the cruise industry. Many cruise companies rely on artificial intelligence technology to conduct more accurate data analysis and market research through advanced algorithms, providing more precise services for specific user groups. In the global green and low-carbon transformation, the cruise industry also bears a heavy responsibility. Kelly Craighead stated that achieving sustainability is one of the common challenges for the cruise industry, and the global shipping industry has committed to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050. At present, the International Cruise Association has jointly developed 32 industry sustainable development cooperation projects with clean energy producers, engine manufacturers, etc., involving methanol fuel, bioenergy, hydrogen fuel cells and other fields. Major operating companies have also proposed the goal of building a modern fleet that is more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Jason Libotti stated that technological advancements are crucial for the cruise industry to achieve carbon neutrality. Realizing carbon neutrality requires joint efforts from all parties to achieve the large-scale use of clean energy in the industry as soon as possible. (New Society)