Foreign tourists welcomed at international cruise terminal
Shot by Jiang Xiaowei. Edited by Jiang Xiaowei. Reported by Hu Min. Subtitles by Hu Min.
The cruise liner Spectrum of the Seas of Royal Caribbean International, carrying nearly 4,000 foreign guests, docked at Shanghai's Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan District early Friday morning, marking the largest single entry of international inbound tourists into Shanghai this year.
An ancient Chinese saying is, "It is always a pleasure to have a friend from afar." Shanghai welcomed these new friends from afar with boisterous dragon and lion dances, fun intangible cultural heritage experiences, and local gifts.
A grand welcome takes place beside the ship.
The foreign travelers are from a range of countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia.
They were greeted with a ceremony and given a warm welcome upon their arrival.
The dragon and lion dances caught the attention of many inbound tourists as they used cell phones to take their first photos in Shanghai, taking lasting images of the arrival.
A bazaar was held at the terminal, featuring Baoshan's intangible cultural heritage items.
A dragon dance is part of a welcome ceremony.
Foreign travelers were provided with payment guidance and foreign currency exchange services upon their arrival.
Some travelers embarked on a tour to the Shanghai Museum of Glass in the district.
It is the second time for David Franz from Austria to visit Shanghai and he will spend four nights in the city, during which he plans to visit local markets to shop.
Franz last visited the city in 2009.
"I love everything here, the culture and the lovely and clever people," he said. "I love China.
"I am excited to be here again as I saw in the last 15 years, Shanghai grew up," he said.
Franz applauded the visa-free policy China implements for ordinary passport holders from Austria.
"It's really great and comfortable," he said.
The foreign visitors were welcomed with traditional Chinese elements.
Rodney Wright, from Australia, planned to visit Shanghai three years ago, but the trip was cancelled due to COVID-19.
"Now things are open up again, we wanted to come back," he told Shanghai Daily.
He will spend three days in the city.
"We wanted to come to Shanghai because it's a very modern city," he said. "We heard from other people who have been to Shanghai that it is very nice, modern and pretty and is a good shopping place.
"I came through the terminal which was really good," he said. "It is very easy to get through and probably one of the best terminals we have been through."
An Austrian traveler shows off gifts he received.
When German Katrin Boehm looked out from the porthole of the ship, she said she was very excited at what she would see in Shanghai.
"All that I think of Shanghai is very good," she said. "I have a good feeling to be here.
"It's very easy (traveling in China) as we don't need a visa," she added.
Such large-scale inbound tourist groups mark a step forward toward the goal of making Shanghai the first stop in China for inbound travelers, officials said.
The passengers were given a grand welcome.
An alluring destination for inbound tourists
The city launched the "Visit Shanghai" campaign in December last year to boost inbound tourism and make Shanghai the first stop in China for inbound travelers.
Shanghai has proved to be an attractive destination for inbound tourists.
This year, the city has witnessed a steady increase of foreign travelers and its inbound tourism market has experienced robust recovery, according to the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism.
The recovery of the cruise industry is even more striking as an increasing number of overseas travelers have selected Shanghai as their destination for a cruise, according to the bureau.
Between January and March this year, the city had 10 visiting cruise ships, recording 22,379 visits by travelers. It is estimated that the city will host 18 cruise ships this year, numbering 40,306 visits.
The Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal is Asia's largest cruise hub, and the world's fourth-largest. Cruise tours have played an important role in driving domestic and international dual circulation and boosting consumption, officials said.
A dragon dance is staged as part of the welcome.
