On March 16th, 2025, the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal achieved a new milestone by welcoming ~4,800 inbound foreign tourists in a single day. This record-setting influx was facilitated by the arrivals of 2 prominent cruise vessels: AIDA's AIDA Stella, marking its inaugural call at the terminal with ~2,200 international guests, and RCI-Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas, bringing 2,600+ foreign travelers.
The surge in foreign cruise tourists is attributed to China's progressively relaxed visa policies, including the 240-hour visa-free transit and unilateral visa waivers. Data from Shanghai's Pujiang Station of Immigration Inspection indicates that 28.2% of the visitors from these two cruises utilized the 240-hour visa-free transit, while 60.9 percent benefited from the unilateral visa waiver, highlighting the effectiveness of these measures.
As of 2024, China has extended unilateral visa-free entry to 38 countries and the 240-hour transit visa-free period to 54 countries. In that year, 20+ million foreign travelers entered China visa-free, marking a 112% increase year-on-year. Among them, 3.39+ million arrived under the unilateral visa-free policy, reflecting a substantial 1,200% year-on-year growth.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning observed that many foreigners, previously perceiving China as enigmatic, now find the country captivating after their visits. She emphasized China's commitment to further facilitating international visits and enhancing the comfort of foreign guests during their stays. Initiatives such as allowing walk-in visa applications at Chinese embassies and consulates, implementing "Buy Now, Refund Now" policies for efficient departure tax refunds, and enabling foreign users to link international credit cards to Chinese digital payment platforms are among the measures being introduced.
In 2024, the Shanghai Wusongkou Terminal handled 208 cruises and 1.34 million travelers. Projections for the current year anticipate the terminal processing 206 cruises and welcoming ~1.53 million passengers, underscoring Shanghai's growing prominence in the international cruise industry.