The three-day 15th China Cruise Shipping Conference (CCS15) opened in Nansha district, Guangzhou on Aug 18. 

More than 500 people from nine countries and regions around the world, heads of provincial and municipal government departments in China, entrepreneurs, as well as experts and scholars from the cruise industry chain are participating in the conference both online and offline.

On the opening day, the Implementation Opinions on Cruise Yacht Equipment and Industrial Development was released.

The opinions propose that by 2025, the country's cruise yacht equipment industry system will be established, domestic large-size cruise ships will be built and delivered, medium-size cruise ships' construction will be accelerated, as well as small-sized cruise ships will be produced in batches.

At the same time, the technology and supply capacity of the country's cruise ship equipment should be greatly improved, which can better meet the development of domestic marine and waterfront tourism, as well as the needs of international markets. A local supporting and international cooperation system for cruise yachts should also be established to form a professional supporting supply chain.

At the meeting, the Cruise Lines International Association and the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation to achieve mutual recognition of the membership of the two associations, as well as to work together to cooperate in cruise tourism training.

Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Homeport Operation Management and Astro Ocean Cruise also signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two parties will strengthen cooperation in areas, such as cruise berthing, future cruise line development, and homeport operation.

In recent years, Nansha district has rapidly promoted the development of the cruise industry. Its existing cruise routes cover 12 destinations, including Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, making it one of the cruise ports with the most Southeast Asian routes in China.

The Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Home Port, which opened in 2019, has one 100,000 gross tonnages and one 225,000 gross tonnage cruise berth. It also boasts a 60,000-square-meter terminal building, with an annual customs clearance capacity of 750,000. It is the largest and most functional cruise complex in Asia.