A cruise ships docked at Sanya Phoenix Island International Cruise Port.(Photo by Wei Wu/Hainan Daily)

On the morning of June 18, Hainan Tourism Investment & Development Co., Ltd. signed strategic cooperation framework agreements with Fujian Air China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co., Ltd. and Fujian Zhongyun Investment Group Co., Ltd. in Haikou, to promote further development of the cruise industry in Hainan.

The cruise tourism industry is a highlight of the province's industrial development in recent years. In the past five years, the cruise ships across the province have received a total of 500,000 passengers and conducted more than 240 cruises. The "Overall Plan for the Construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port" emphasizes that Hainan will "speed up building Sanya into a home port of international cruises and support the construction of cruise tourism pilot areas, to attract international cruises to register in Sanya."

Based on the strategic cooperative relationship, the three parties will make full use of their respective advantages and resources, work together to explore and actively participate in the construction of Hainan Cruise Tourism Pilot Area. They will also build a cruise port industry cluster district in a suitable area of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and jointly develop a cruise industry investment fund according to the future development of the cruise industry in Hainan.

Chen Tiejun, chairman of Hainan Tourism Investment & Development Co., Ltd., stated that the agreement signing is just the first step of the tripartite strategic cooperation. In the future, local cruise tourism business entities will be pushed forwarded to settle in Hainan as soon as possible, leading international and high-end tourism consumption, so as to boost the construction of the international tourism consumption center. "Under appropriate the conditions, we will introduce or lease a batch of higher quality cruise ships to develop the round-island tour," he said.