Xiamen issues measures to boost cruise tourism industry

Xiamen municipal government have issued measures to advance the development cruise tourism industry in the city. [Photo/xmnn.cn]

Companies in the cruise tourism industry in Xiamen, Fujian province will receive subsidies from the local government, according to the Opinions on Further Promoting Cruise Tourism Industry recently released by Xiamen municipal government departments.

As part of the directive, its three issuers Xiamen Municipal Tourism Development Commission, Xiamen Port Authority, and Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Finance will support cruise ship and chartered boat companies solicit tourists and open more routes reaching countries along Maritime Silk Road.

The Opinions state that 200 yuan ($29) per tourist will be given to companies with a total of 5,000 to 50,000 outbound tourists in a calendar year and 250 yuan for those with more than 50,000 outbound tourists in a calendar year.

Some 100,000 yuan per route will be awarded to companies that use or introduce cruise ships weighing 50,000 tons or above or manage cruise routes stopping in countries along the Maritime Silk Road and another 400,000 yuan will be given to routes that stop in three or above Maritime Silk Road countries.

A reward of 100,000 yuan per route will be offered to companies that operate at least one route a week with their ships weighing 50,000 tons or above for consecutive 90 days.

A spokesman for the local tourism development commission said that these measures are expected to promote the development of Xiamen's cruise home port.

Statistics shows that Xiamen ports welcomed 84 cruise ships from January to October this year with an increase of 18.31 percent year-on-year, including Costa Atlantica, Viking Orion, Queen Elizabeth, among other world-famous cruise ships and more than 270,000 tourists, a soaring increase of 94.71 percent compared to the previous year.