Premium Waterway Tourism Route Cases Released, Experience Upgraded

The Ministry of Transport released 2025 typical cases of premium domestic waterway tourism passenger routes. The routes connect coastal attractions and historical sites, innovating a 'cruise plus' model covering sightseeing, study tours, vacation, and night tours. During summer, several routes saw peak traffic: the Lijiang essence section received 353,400 visitors, averaging about 6,000 daily, with about 4,000 sailings; 'Shanghai Star' averaged a 98.6% load factor. Industry players note waterway tourism is shifting from 'whether available' to 'whether good,' requiring water-shore linkage, diversified revenue structures, and content innovation for long-term operation.