The first Shanghai International Cruise Festival kicked off on Saturday, aiming to make the most of the surge in cruise travel and boost the city's attractiveness to both local residents and international visitors.

At the launch ceremony, Liu Ping, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai government, emphasised that the cruise industry plays a crucial role in increasing domestic demand and unlocking consumption potential, Shine News reports.

“The city will continue to offer new cruise relevant consumption scenes and relevant services for the cruise industry to cater to customers' diversified and personalised demand,” he said.

“The cruise festival also aims to boost Shanghai's position as an international consumption hub and invite more cruise companies to set up headquarters in the city.”

Furthermore, the Shanghai International Cruise Port has emerged as the top cruise homeport in Asia and the fourth busiest in the world.  

In the first half of the year, the city's two cruise terminals, Wusongkou and North Bund, hosted 89 cruise ships and approximately 592,700 passengers.

Whereas this year the Wusongkou terminal is projected to welcome 207 ships and approximately 1.5 million inbound travellers, highlighting Shanghai's increasing status as a major cruise hub in Asia.

Local travel agencies and event organisers have launched a range of cross-promotional and marketing strategies that blend cruise ship experiences with tourism packages.

Indeed, six cruise-themed events and promotional campaigns are planned through until the end of August, aiming to transform the summer consumption scene into a cruise carnival.

Moreover, Royal Caribbean, Adora, and China Merchants Viking Cruises will organise interactive activities such as family experiences and piano performances, continuing through until the end of this month.

Additionally, Shanghai Sea World, a sports and leisure complex, will launch its first phase by the end of September, aiming to fully capitalise on the cultural tourism opportunities in the northern Baoshan District.