Genting Cruise Lines (GCL) is forging a strategic partnership with the Sanya CBD Administration and a national travel industry corporation to establish a joint venture company to facilitate operations of Dream Cruises’ flagship in Sanya.
The goal of the new joint venture will be to launch domestic cruise itineraries out of the central cruise hub of Hainan, and to support the development of a free trade, pilot cruise tourism zone on Hainan Island.
GCL said in a press release that Sanya boasts an abundance of advantages to complement the pilot implementation of the Hainan Cruise Port Sea-Upstream Route plan, such as the first dedicated cruise terminal providing the only cruise itineraries to the Xisha islands in the country. The city’s location also allows for the longest number cruising days for domestic sailings, and there are plans to further develop Sanya into the largest cruise homeport in China, it added.
The Sanya CBD, one of the 11 districts and parks implementing Hainan’s free trade port policies, manages the Sanya Headquarters Economy division, the CBD division and the cruise and yachting division.
To further boost tourism and reinforce the positioning of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Hainan government announced earlier this year the pilot plan for the Hainan Island Cruise Itineraries for Chinese-funded Flag of Convenience Ships, providing more options for cruise companies.
GCL president Kent Zhu said: “The establishment of a joint venture company in Sanya demonstrates our commitment and determination to further drive the development of cruise tourism in Hainan. Our aim is to provide a dedicate presence in Sanya, focused on promoting the rich cultural heritage of the island coupled with the wealth of cruise experience of Genting Cruise Lines.
“In the post-pandemic era of travel, we hope that the authorities will further relax their policy for cruise companies operating domestic cruises and we will leverage on policies in Hainan, such as the Flag Of Convenience pilot programme, to entice inbound international travellers.”
