12 March 2003 HONG KONG – Shanghai is banking on increased luxury cruise liner demand, registering nearly 30 international cruises for the first half of this year.
The Shanghai port authority anticipates that number to rise to 50 cruise liners by year-end, up from just 12 in 2001, according to a China Daily report today.
Silversea Cruises looks set to announce Shanghai plans. Its vice president sales and marketing international, Steve Odell, and regional manager, Yeo Hwee Cheng, will be in Hong Kong at the end of the month to talk about its strategies for the region and deluxe cruising overall.
Brian Smith, general manager/director for The Travel Advisers Ltd , said it was likely that Silversea Cruises would be eyeing Shanghai, as they intended to go in two years ago, but held back due to the September 11 incident.
Star Cruises was one of the more recent cruise liner entries into Shanghai last year. Soon after its November trip to Shanghai during the China International Travel Mart (CITM), Star Cruises announced plans to operate four scheduled cruises to Shanghai this year. SuperStar Leo will make its first voyage to Shanghai on April 26.
Increased demand has prompted Shanghai to build a US$387 million passenger terminal centre, offering 850 metres of coastline for cruise liners by 2005.