On September 12th, the "China Merchants Yidun" cruise ship carrying more than 650 foreign tourists slowly arrived at the Zhoushan Islands International Cruise Port. The joyful dragon and lion dance performances, as well as the lively "Zhoushan Heart" cultural and creative market, open up the beauty of "first sight of Zhoushan" for tourists. This is the first cruise ship to dock in Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province since it was added as a new port for visa free entry for cruise ships, marking the launch of the first Chinese coastal cruise tourism project for inbound tourists - the "China Exploration Tour" route.
It is understood that the "China Exploration Tour" route is a coastal cruise tourism project of China Merchants Viking Cruise targeting inbound tourists from Europe and America. The route is operated by China's first independently managed luxury cruise ship, the "China Merchants Yidun", with Shanghai as its home port, passing through ports such as Zhoushan, Dongtou, Xiamen, Pingtan, and finally arriving in Shenzhen, leading foreign tourists to explore the natural and cultural beauty of China's coastal areas. From September to November, the route will offer 8 voyages, each lasting about 15 hours in Zhoushan, and is expected to bring more than 6000 inbound tourists to Zhoushan.
We have had multiple rounds of communication and exchanges with the Viking Cruise team of China Merchants in the early stage, and accompanied them to conduct on-site inspections and route design. Currently, we have launched seven tourism routes, including the Dasha Ancient Town Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience in Daishan, the Putuo Mountain Spiritual Meditation Tour, the "Impression Putuo" Performance, the tour of Zhujiajian Nansha Scenic Area, and the "Car Tour of Zhoushan". We hope to fully showcase the natural endowment and cultural texture of Zhoushan, and present the construction achievements of key projects such as "Star Sea" and "Hello Island" in recent years from all dimensions, "said the relevant person in charge of Zhoushan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Tourism and Sports.
During the docking of the "China Merchants Yidun" in Zhoushan, European and American tourists visited Zhujiajian, Daishan, Putuo Mountain and other places for sightseeing. At Dongsha Ancient Town in Daishan, tourists not only taste specialty foods such as Haitang cake, sea stone flowers, and dried incense along the way, but also watch intangible cultural heritage performances such as Zhoushan walking books, puppet shows, horse lantern dances, and Zhoushan fishermen's songs, experiencing the traditional cultural charm of Zhoushan Ancient Fishing Town. In the Fisherman's Painting Museum, vivid and colorful fisherman paintings have impressed many foreign tourists. They surrounded the old fisherman painter Cai Chengshi and listened to the stories behind the fisherman paintings.
With the help of English tour guides, many foreign tourists also interacted enthusiastically with local villagers. Walter, a tourist from Florida, USA, and Zhang Xiansong, a villager, felt like old friends at first sight. Before bidding farewell, they took a group photo in front of the tourist service center. Zhoushan is a beautiful city, and the people here are warm and hospitable. I really like it, "Walter said.
It is reported that with the assistance of the 144 hour transit visa free policy, the number of inbound tourists in Zhoushan City increased significantly in the first half of this year, with 51923 overseas personnel in the hotel industry registered for accommodation, a year-on-year increase of 87.65%. According to the relevant person in charge of the Zhoushan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Tourism and Sports, the "China Exploration Tour" route relies on Shanghai, the home port of cruise ships, and is backed by the Yangtze River Delta region, connecting and driving China's coastal cruise cities, and will become an important battlefield for the development of China's cruise industry in the future. Through this route cooperation, Zhoushan showcases the charm of marine tourism, deepens the interaction between Zhoushan Port and Shanghai Port, and enables Zhoushan to occupy a more important position in China's cruise industry.
In the past, our focus was on the Southeast Asian, Hong Kong, and Taiwan markets. This new route will extend its reach to the European and American markets, with a large number of passengers in a single batch and a long time span. If the route continues to operate normally in the future, it will continue to bring a relatively stable source of high-quality inbound tourists to Zhoushan. "The person in charge said that the opening of the" China Exploration Tour "route will effectively enhance the international development level of Zhoushan's tourism industry, create a platform window to showcase Zhoushan's tourism style and cultural features, and have a positive effect on the development of Zhoushan's inbound tourism market, promoting opening up to the outside world and people to people exchanges.
