TOP Fujian tourism and hospitality state-owned enterprise, C&D, has set up a cruise division to capture the wave of interest since it started operating cruise charters from Xiamen in 2011.
Chen Lian Bao, vice general manager of C&D’s cruise division, said it operated a charter between Xiamen and Manila on SuperStar Gemini and a Xiamen-Phuket-Manila-Xiamen incentive and leisure charter last year.
This year, C&D is mounting three back-to-back charters on SuperStar Virgo in July to coincide with the summer school holidays.
Its 5D4N cruise from July 13 will cover Hong Kong, Xiamen, Taipei, and Taichung before returning to Xiamen for 2,000 passengers. Its July 17-22 itinerary will sail from Xiamen to Jeju and Okinawa before returning to Xiamen. Its July 22-27 cruise will leave Xiamen for Hue, Halong Bay and Hong Kong.
Chen said: “The number of passengers we have handled has increased 100 per cent since 2011. In 2014, we expect to handle up to 8,000. Apart from the charters, we are also promoting fly-cruises to Singapore and Shanghai.”
He added that C&D was confident that it could cover the whole of Asia and offer 14-day sailings in future. 10
