On March 20, China Tourism Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “CTG”) and China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as “CSSC”) formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for a New Large Cruise Ship Construction Project in Shanghai. The two parties will engage in comprehensive and in-depth cooperation regarding the design, construction, and operational management of large cruise ships. Through a strategic approach of “mass production and series operation,” they will jointly promote the high-quality development of China’s entire cruise industry chain.
According to the memorandum of understanding, the two parties will fully leverage China Tourism Group’s “soft power” in cultural and tourism operations and CSSC’s “hard power” in equipment manufacturing to achieve full integration across the entire value chain—from market demand to ship design, and from construction and delivery to operational services.
As China’s largest state-owned tourism enterprise, China Tourism Group will lead market demand analysis and product definition. Leveraging its deep expertise in tourist source organization, route development, cruise operations, as well as scenic spot management, hotel operations, and duty-free business, the Group will provide precise input on core functions such as cabin layout, service facilities, and entertainment and dining for the new vessels, thereby ensuring a solid foundation for China’s large cruise ships to transition from “successful construction” to “successful operation.”
CSSC will fully leverage its core strengths in shipbuilding and marine equipment manufacturing. Drawing on its exceptional capabilities in ship and offshore engineering design and construction, the company will take the lead in cruise ship design development, key technological breakthroughs, and final assembly and construction. This initiative will not only ensure that newly built cruise ships fully comply with international technical specifications and the latest environmental standards, but will also continue to empower the domestic cruise ship industry chain and steadily increase the localization rate of core equipment.
The cross-sector partnership between these two major groups is not merely a strategic alignment of industrial resources; it is a bold move to reshape the competitiveness of China’s cruise industry. Through this model of in-depth group collaboration, synergies across the entire industrial chain will be fully unleashed: upstream, it will drive the supply chain—including high-end manufacturing and new materials—to “shift gears and accelerate”; downstream, it will fully energize the midstream consumer market and port infrastructure to “sail full steam ahead,” thereby effectively achieving the deep integration of industrial, innovation, and value chains.
In this partnership, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CSCS Group, and Huaxia International Cruise Line, a subsidiary of China Tourism Group, serve as the core entities responsible for construction and operations, respectively, each fulfilling their respective roles while working in concert.
As a key pillar of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding previously succeeded in developing China’s first domestically built large cruise ship, the “Adora Magic Cit,” marking a historic breakthrough in the country’s large cruise ship industry—a leap from “zero” to “one.” Currently, construction of the second large cruise ship, the “Adora Flora City,” is accelerating, steadily achieving a new upgrade from “having” to “excellence.”
Under the subsequent cooperation framework of “two firm vessels plus one optional vessel,” Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding will leverage its existing cruise ship-specific production facilities, supply chain management system, and capabilities in managing complex projects to advance the construction of its cruise ship final assembly base. The company will steadily optimize ship design and implement lean manufacturing practices, thereby providing robust engineering support to ensure the delivery of the first newly built cruise ship by the end of 2030.
As an operational platform, Huaxia International Cruise Line—with Adora Cruises at its core and the “Adora Magic City” as its flagship—has achieved a breakthrough in building an operational system from scratch, propelling China’s cruise industry from merely “successful construction” to “successful operation.”
For newbuilding cooperation, Huaxia International Cruise Line will leverage the mature operational experience of Adora Cruises, deeply participate in the definition of new vessel products, and integrate Chinese consumers’ preferences and cultural needs into core modules such as cabin layouts, service facilities, entertainment and catering services.
With the mission of “Leading China’s cruise operation and serving wonderful ocean journeys”, the company continuously advances the reserve of local operation talents and the upgrading of service systems. It empowers new vessel experiences through its “cruise + culture” brand strategy, promotes the whole-industry-chain collaboration between new vessel operation, upstream shipbuilding and downstream ports, ensures that new vessels can start operations upon delivery and achieve premium-level performance from the very beginning, and strives to create a world-class oriental cruise experience.