By
Alex Smith |
Genting Cruise Lines has formed a strategic partnership with the Sanya Central Business District Administration (Sanya CBD) and an unnamed national travel industry corporation to establish a joint venture company to facilitate operations of Dream Cruises’ flagship from Sanya, China. The company will now develop domestic cruise itineraries from the Chinese island province of Hainan, supporting the creation of a free trade cruise tourism zone.
“We are keen to support the Chinese government’s efforts in rebuilding its travel and tourism sector by providing a safe and care-free vacation option for consumers,” said Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines. “Genting Cruise Lines has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with China, and especially in Hainan Island, for nearly 30 years and we will continue to build on the strong collaborative spirit we have forged together.”
Sanya CBD, one of the 11 districts and parks implementing Hainan’s free trade port policies, manages the Sanya Headquarters Economy division, the CBD division and the cruise and yachting division. Genting Cruise Lines was the first international cruise company to homeport in Sanya in 2011.
“Since its establishment, the Sanya CBD has initiated planning for the industry and devised policies in support of the industry,” said Wu Haifend, Vice Mayor of the Sanya Municipal People’s Government and president of the Sanya CBD. “We have also established a cruise and yachting service centre and a representative system for commercial stakeholders, as well as hosted a Forum on the Innovation of the Cruise and Yachting Industry. Moving forward, the Sanya CBD will collaborate with the government to diversify the supply of cruise travel products in the market, to develop cruise destinations and extend the industry chain, with the aim to build Sanya into a key cruise travel hub in the Asia-Pacific region.”