Cruise tourism declines for first time

China saw a decline in oceangoing cruise tourism last year, with 13 domestic ports welcoming fewer cruise ships and visits than in the previous year.

The 13 ports saw 969 cruises and 4.9 million visits, falling 17.95 percent and 0.98 percent, respectively, from 2017, according to research by the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association and the China Ports Organization.

It is the first slump since cruise tourism emerged in China in 2006, the research showed.