China Sees 40% Surge in Cruise Passenger Throughput and Marine Tourism Growth in H1 2025

China’s cruise industry has experienced a remarkable recovery, with the Ministry of Natural Resources reporting a 40.1% increase in cruise passenger throughput at its ports during the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year. This surge signals the resurgence of the domestic marine tourism sector, which is rebounding to its pre-pandemic levels.

In this six-month period, the marine tourism sector’s value soared to 771.8 billion yuan (approximately US$108 billion), reflecting an 8% year-on-year growth. The Ministry credited several factors for this revival: favorable government policies, an increase in the number of vessels and ports, and growing demand for national travel. Analysts noted that improved cruise capacity and consistent growth in related metrics were driven by coordinated port development, relaxed visa requirements for cruise groups, and various incentive programs for operators.

Additionally, China’s gross ocean product (GOP), which accounts for various marine activities including fisheries, shipping, energy, and recreation, increased by 5.8% to reach 5.1 trillion yuan during the same period. Notably, the marine tourism segment’s growth outpaced that of other sectors, emphasizing its importance in the nation’s maritime economy’s post-pandemic recovery.

To support the ongoing tourism momentum, Chinese coastal authorities have swiftly approved the use of 167,000 hectares of marine and island areas, which includes plans for new cruise terminals and yacht berths. Infrastructure investments have positively impacted other sectors such as sea freight, shipbuilding, offshore wind energy, and aquatic farming.

The Ministry anticipates that marine tourism will continue to gain traction through summer and into autumn as domestic leisure travel peaks. Operationally, this shift indicates significant changes in vessel deployment, insurance considerations, shore excursions, and capacity planning, reinforcing the expanding cruise economy’s establishment in China’s coastal regions.

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