Tourists from South Korea get off from the "Harmony Yungang" cruise ship at Lianyungang Port in Lianyungang City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Dec. 28, 2025. A total of 255 South Korean tourists arrived in Lianyungang aboard the "Harmony Yungang" cruise ship, commencing a five-day New Year tour in China. This marks the largest group of South Korean travelers received at Lianyungang port passenger terminal since China's visa-free policy for South Korean citizens. (Photo by Wang Jianmin/Xinhua)

China's inbound cruise tourism market saw an unprecedented surge in 2025. Latest data show that Shanghai ports handled a total of 538 inbound and outbound cruise calls during the year, up 16.2 percent year on year, CCTV News reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port received more than 400,000 inbound and outbound passengers, while cruise arrivals at Xiamen Port jumped 129 percent year on year, according to the report.

Also on Wednesday, the China and Asia Cruise Economic Prosperity Index and the 2025 China Cruise Industry Development Report (the Cruise Industry Green Paper) were released, according to the Shanghai International Cruise Business Institute. The data highlight the strong momentum and vast potential of China's cruise market.

The figures show that China's cruise market rebounded against the broader trend, with domestic brands' market share surging to 40 percent, foreign tourist numbers soaring 210 percent, and further breakthroughs achieved in the construction of domestically built cruise ships, the Green Paper said.

According to the Green Paper, the global cruise market staged a strong recovery in 2024-2025, with passenger numbers expected to reach 37.7 million, up 106 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

The Asia-Pacific region has emerged as the main growth engine, with the Chinese market contributing more than half of the incremental increase. 
As the world's second-largest source market, China has recovered at a markedly faster pace than the global average, with home-port passenger volumes surging year on year in 2024, injecting greater certainty into the global cruise industry, the Green Paper said, according to the institute.

Convenient customs clearance measures have been a key driver behind the rapid growth of the nation's cross-border cruise industry.
An official with the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection said that innovative approaches such as "onboard inspections" have cut clearance times for foreign passengers arriving by visiting cruise ships to just seconds, according to CCTV News.

Following the introduction of electronic arrival cards, foreign travelers can complete the required information online in advance—either before the cruise arrives or while queuing for inspection, the official said.

Global Times