Shanghai Party Chief Li Qiang met the representatives of guests attending the Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific 2019 in Shanghai and unveiled the plaque for China Cruise Tourism Development Demonstration Zone on the afternoon of October 10.

Further optimizing business environment and improving policies and systems to assist the better and more rapid development of cruise enterprises in Shanghai. Li Qiang said that we are now deeply implementing Xi Jinping’s important instructions on Shanghai and accelerating the construction of an international economy, finance, trade, shipping and science innovation center. Developing the cruise economy and building a first-class cruise home port in the world is the important part of building Shanghai into an international shipping center and a world famous tourism city.

The theme of the Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific 2019 was “City of Cruise and Charm”, which conforms to the development direction of Shanghai. It is expected that the present guests would come up with more suggestions and contribute their wisdom to accelerating the cruise economy development of Shanghai. The China and Shanghai cruise markets present huge development potential and large cruise companies all around the world are welcomed to increase their investment, expand their business and distribute their industry in Shanghai and carry out all-round exchanges with Chinese enterprises, thus playing a positive role in developing the Shanghai cruise economy. Shanghai will further optimize business environment and improve policies and systems to assist the better and more rapid development of cruise enterprises in Shanghai.

Seizing development opportunities and deeply exploring the Chinese market to gather more new cruise, new business and new products in Shanghai. Andrew Williams, Foreign Party Chairman of the Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific 2019 and Maritime President of Informa Group, Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival Corporation Group, Vago, Executive Chairman of the MSC Cruises, Michael Bayley, Global President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, and Qu Fuyao, President of Genting Hong Kong, believed that Shanghai has a solid foundation for developing the cruise economy, which will provide cruise enterprises with great services for their development in Shanghai. The Chinese cruise market is of huge potential and a bright prospect. Shanghai will seize development opportunities and deeply explore the Chinese market to gather more new cruise, new business and new products, and will join hands with Chinese partners to deepen the exchange and cooperation to achieve win-win development.

Wang Xiaofeng, Member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Zong Ming, Deputy Mayor of Shanghai, took part in the meeting and delivered a speech at the unveiling activity. Shanghai official Zhuge Yujie was present.

The demonstration zone will focus on cruise tourism, cruise consumption, cruise market, cruise operation and cruise industry by relying on Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal. The Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific 2019 was held in Baoshan District, Shanghai, and over 1,000 guests from 34 countries and regions in the world took part. According to the “Overall Plan of China Cruise Tourism Development Demonstration Zones” released at the activity, the demonstration zone will focus on cruise tourism, cruise consumption, cruise market, cruise operation and cruise industry by relying on Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, actively explore and establish the management mode fitting in with the development characteristics of the Chinese cruise market, the systems conforming to international cruise development rules, the cruise economy whole industry chain development system and the cruise development service supporting system, and increase the core driving function of the national cruise tourism development, thus building a new highland of cruise tourism consumption with international competitiveness.