Shanghai plans to build world's third largest cruise port

Shanghai is going to develop its Wusongkou Cruise Port into the world's third largest by passenger trips, and form an industrial chain worth 100 billion yuan ($14.08 billion), officials said.

The city will work on improving cruise customers' experience, introduce product innovation, and encourage the development of cruise design and construction so it can become an international cruising city.

China is the world's second largest cruise market by passenger volume with a total of 2.19 million, accounting for more than half of total Asian cruise passengers, Xinhuanet.com reported. About 63 percent of the Chinese cruise market comes from Shanghai.

"The nation's first duty-free store at a cruise port will open its doors to the public before the China International Import Expo, and Baoshan will continue to optimize the business environment in supporting the creation of a 100-billion yuan cruise industry," said Su Ping, the deputy director of the city's Baoshan district.

The Wusongkou Cruise Port is currently the world's fourth largest. It has so far received more than 2,000 cruise vessel trips and more than 13 million passenger trips, Yang said.