Seven Chinese cities with eight cruise ports have proposed to set up the China cruise port alliance to jointly develop, operate and manage cruise terminals.

The seven cities, Shanghai, Tianjin, Xiamen, Sanya, Zhoushan, Qingdao and Hong Kong will establish a cooperation platform and form a cruise network to promote the development of China’s cruise market.

The seven cities are in talks with world leading cruise lines including Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Princess Cruises, Star Cruises, MSC Cruises, and domestic cruise operators Bohai Ferry and HNA Cruises.

Chinese cruise industry is expected to be one of the largest cruise markets in the world with 4.5 million passengers by 2020.