The blossoming Chinese cruise industry enjoyed a landmark day this week as the China State Shipbuilding Corporation announced it was building the country’s first ever luxury cruise vessel. The shipbuilders are working in partnerships with Carnival Corporation and the Italian Fincantieri as part of the continued growth of the Chinese cruise industry.
Carnival are offering their considerable knowledge and experience in shipbuilding and design to the Chinese market. Plans to form a Chinese cruise company are also in the planning stages.
The Chinese market has grown significantly in recent years with many cruise companies including Royal Caribbean and Carnival dedicating a number of ships to support the increasing demand for cruise holidays amongst Chinese nationals.
With an increasing middle class and the world’s largest population; there are incredible opportunities for cruise companies to produce incredibly popular cruise itineraries for and around China. It is anticipated that the Chinese cruising market would become one of the world’s largest within a few years with a predicted 4.5 million passengers by 2020.
China is already home of the world’s largest shipbuilding industry, producing a high quantity of shipping units. However, the industry has suffered a slump in recent years as the global shipping market dwindles. It is hoped the production of commercial vessels could replace the jobs lost during the shipping market slump.
The Chinese Government have been quick to support this blossoming industry, offering subsidies to shipping lines who order new ships. The Government has also moved to encourage shipyards to invest in high-tech vessels and the development of offshore equipment.
No projected date for the completion of the ship has been offered by China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Carnival Corp or Fincantieri.
Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons. Credits: Andrew Mitchell, El Coleccionista de Instante, Leonid Yaitskiy
