3rd Nansha International Cruise Tourism Culture Festival opens

 The 3rd Nansha International Cruise Tourism Culture Festival is held in Nansha. [Photo/gznsnews.com]

From Dec 5 to 9, the 3rd Nansha International Cruise Tourism Culture Festival was held in Nansha. And the Nansha Mermaid Invitational Tournament was held in Nansha on Dec 6, with more than 30 “mermaids” competing. During the period, Ctrip Group also launched the Online International Cruise Tourism Culture Festival, inviting Chinese and foreign tourists to visit Nansha and spread the good reputation of Nansha tourism.

Highlights: Chinese and foreign travel experts visit Nansha

More than 30 professional mermaids from all over the world compete here. [Photo/gznsnews.com]

The mermaid looks so beautiful in the water . [Photo/gznsnews.com]

This year is the third year of the Nansha Cruise Culture Tourism Festival. The mermaid as an important element is the connection between human beings and the sea. The final of the China Nansha Mermaid Invitational Tournament was held at the Nansha Cultural Center on Dec 6. More than 30 professional mermaids from all over the world competed here. The mermaids that look so beautiful in the water areactually high-intensity athletes. The sport combines single-finswimming training, free-dive breathing training, underwater ballet training and other challenges, which all lead to avery ornamental display. 

Data: Nansha Cruises received 20.36% year-on-year increase in visitors 

The cruise industry is known as the “gold industry floating on the golden waterway” . The reporter learned from the cruise culture festival that since the official opening of the international cruise port in Guangzhou Nansha Port Area in January 2016, Nansha cruise tourism has developed rapidly.

In 2017, the company operated a total of 122 voyages of inbound and outbound cruise ships, an increase of 17.31% over the same period last year. It received 403,500 passengers, an increase of 23.8% over the same period last year. It achieved double growth of  “voyage”  and  “person-time” , and the total number of passengers entering and leaving the country was ranked third nationwide.

Service: Introducing the support measures for the development of the cruise industry　　

This year, Nansha district has also issued relevant policies to clearly identify ten supporting mechanisms for the enterprises or organizations that promote the development of the Nansha cruise industry, such as the settlement of residence, office space subsidies, route awards, and promotion subsidies. Nansha will support different grades of cruise companies, cruise port operators, cruise organizations, and travel agencies.　　

At the same time, it has also launched a new model of  “cruise + scenic spot” tourism. In October, the famous gourmet Zhuang Chen led 60 passengers to visit the Nansha Waterfowl World, and then boarded the "World Dream" of Star Dream Cruises, which opened a three-day and two-night food tasting tour. Such an attempt of the  "cruise + scenic spot"  interactive travel mode is conducive to enhancing Nansha's quality of passengers' cruise experience and also promoting its local tourism development.

Hardware: The cruise terminal port project has been completed

The construction of the Nansha cruise home port with a capacity of 750,000 passengers is being accelerated and is expected to be officially put into use in 2019. At present, the cruise home port's terminal has been completed. In the future, further berths accommodating 100,000 vessel tons will be built, and eventually berths serving 225,000 vessel tons will make Nanshaone of the largest domestic cruise ports in China.

In the future, the giant cruise ships departing from Nanshawill also be docked in different ports throughout Southeast Asia, and combined with local tourism and entertainment to form tourism projects with different characteristics. As cruises as consistent with the Belt and Road Initiative, the Southeast Asian tourism market will become an emerging hot spot for trade, friendship and common development.