CCTV News: Starting from May 15, 2024, China will implement a visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups to enter the country, and it will be exactly one year on May 15, 2025. From the bustling passenger flow of Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Port to the orderly operation of Tianjin International Cruise Home Port, the cruise visa-free policy has brought unprecedented development opportunities to these ports.

In the past year, the cruise visa-free policy has attracted a large number of foreign tourists to enter China. Taking Shanghai as an example, as of May 13, 2025, the Pujiang Border Inspection Station of the Shanghai Border Inspection General Station has inspected more than 580 inbound and outbound cruise ships and more than 2.26 million inbound and outbound passengers. During this year's May Day holiday, Shanghai Cruise Port welcomed the first time this year's four ships were waiting together. "Ida City", "Ocean Spectre", "Blue Dream Song" and "Seven Seas Navigator" gathered in Pujiang. The "Four Boats Reached Together" combined with the holiday effect, nearly 30,000 people entering and leaving the country in a single day, setting a new high in three years.

As the largest cruise port in the north, the Tianjin International Cruise Home Port has entered and exited nearly 200 cruise ships in the past year, an increase of 67% year-on-year. The number of inbound and outbound cruise passengers exceeded 350,000, an increase of 93% year-on-year. On May 1 and May 6, the grand occasion of "three rounds of coping together" and "two rounds of coping together" were ushered in succession. On May 1, the Dongjiang Border Inspection Station inspected and released nearly 15,000 inbound and outbound passengers, setting a record for the highest single-day since the cruise ship resumed flights, further promoting the inbound travel boom.

In addition, Shandong's cruise incoming data is also very impressive. This year's visits of the two cruise ships, "Europa 2" and "Ida Modu", further consolidate Qingdao's position as a northern cruise hub. According to statistics, in 2025, Qingdao Cruise Home Port is expected to receive more than 40 cruises, doubled from 2024.

Relying on more than 200 kilometers of long coastline, Xiamen, located in the Straits cruise economic circle, began last year, and advantages were gradually emerging. On April 23 this year, the "Ida Mediterranean" and "Blue Dream Song" both relied on Xiamen. On that day, Gaoqi Entry and Exit Border Inspection Station inspected a total of more than 7,000 passengers entering and leaving the cruise ship, setting a new high in a single-day passenger flow at Xiamen cruise port in the past five years.

Shenzhen also formed a phenomenon. As of May 15, the Shenzhen Border Inspection General Station inspected a total of 46 cruise ships and inspected 121,000 cruise inbound and outbound personnel, a year-on-year increase of 287%.

The regional linkage effect of cruise inbound tourism is obvious

In the year when the cruise visa-free policy is implemented, the occupancy rate of hotels in many places has increased, and restaurants are crowded with foreign tourists who have tried their best, and cultural and tourism consumption has been directly ignited.

Over the past year, the regional linkage effect of cruise inbound tourism has been obvious. Taking Tianjin as an example, passengers entering from Tianjin Port by cruise cover the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and many coastal provinces and cities. During this year's May Day holiday, the three ships were both relying on the Tianjin International Cruise Home Port. 15,000 inbound and outbound passengers led to a general increase in the turnover of surrounding restaurants by more than 30%. The consumption of inbound tourists with Alipay increased by 180% year-on-year, activating the vitality of regional economic development.

The linkage effect of the region is also popular in other cruise ports. Tourists entering Shanghai go to Zhejiang to experience the swaying water town of Wushangboat, tourists who log in to Xiamen go to Zhangzhou Tulou to check in, etc. According to statistics, from May last year to the present, the number of foreign tourists receiving at these popular attractions has achieved double-digit growth. This "cruise + in-depth tour on the shore" model gives foreign tourists the opportunity to visit multiple cities in one trip and deeply experience the cultural charm of different regions in China.