China's Hainan is entering a golden period for the development of its cruise ship and yacht industries thanks to favorable policies.
The province will officially launch island-wide special customs operations on December 18 in a milestone for China's opening-up drive.
Anticipating a significant boost in commerce and tourism following the launch, local authorities have implemented a range of favorable policies, including zero tariffs on yachts, deposit-free yacht rental and flexible port call location for foreign cruise ships.
Relaxed cruise ship policies are part of the island's broader efforts to welcome international tourism and enhance the entry experience for foreign visitors. The fast customs clearance regulations, for example, have allowed more than 1,800 international passenger to arrive in Hainan's Sanya City last month to enter the island at a pace of 10-15 seconds per person.
As the location of China's first dedicated cruise terminal, the resort city of Sanya has developed a mature industrial ecosystem. Over 20 enterprises along the industrial chain have established operations in the city, with more than 30 international cruise lines maintaining regular port calls.
This year alone, cruise passenger arrivals to Sanya have exceeded 25,000, demonstrating the robust growth momentum of the cruise industry.
"The proportion of first-time visitors this year has increased by 300 percent year-on-year. The Norwegian Spirit cruise ship brought 1,800 passengers on its maiden voyage to Sanya, with foreign tourists accounting for 99 percent of the total, marking the highest proportion of international visitors since Sanya's cruise market recovery began in September 2023," said Cui Yumin, head of the cruise and yacht management office at the Sanya Central Business District Administration.
Meanwhile, the total number of registered yachts in Sanya has surpassed 1,400, and the city has been named "China's Best Yacht Tourism City of the Year" for four consecutive years.
Local inspection authorities have rolled out multiple measures to facilitate cross-border yacht travel.
"We have independently developed a comprehensive cruise ship management system and an intelligent yacht management system. Both systems integrate cutting-edge technologies such as big data management, facial recognition, satellite positioning, and AR panoramic imaging to enable smarter customs management," said border inspection officer Cheng Hao.
A trial set of special rules for yacht specifications and inspection took effect in Hainan this October. The new regulations increased the yacht passenger capacity limit to 26 persons and enabled customs clearance via mobile devices, significantly expanding the industry's development space and boosting confidence among yacht makers.
"We can clearly feel that the convenience of current entry and exit procedures has created more opportunities for our yacht sales and trade, with transaction volumes significantly increasing compared to the past," said Ma Hongjuan, regional sales director of an Italian yacht manufacturer.
Convenient services and optimized policies have not only revitalized the industrial sector but also ignited the consumer market.
Sanya's peak tourism season is arriving as winter sets in, and yacht cruises have become a popular leisure option.
"We came from Lanzhou City. The entire yacht voyage was quite pleasant. The price was also relatively affordable," said a passenger.
In the first ten months of this year, Sanya received 1.07 million tourists, who embarked on over 190,000 yacht trips. Both figures increased by more than 15 percent year-on-year.
Favorable policies boost cruise, yacht industries in China's Hainan
