Shandong Cruise Tourism Development Forum, which is an important part of 2023 Shandong Tourism Development Conference, kicks off at the Qingdao International Conference Center in Qingdao, Shandong province on March 27. [Photo/WeChat account: Shandong-Port]

Shandong Cruise Tourism Development Forum, which is an important part of 2023 Shandong Tourism Development Conference, kicked off at the Qingdao International Conference Center in Qingdao, Shandong province on March 27.

Sponsored by the transportation, culture and tourism departments of Shandong, the Qingdao municipal government and Shandong Port Group Co (SPG), the forum aims to collect wisdom and experience from all in attendance and build a large platform that shares resources for the cruise industry.

It also hopes to encourage more regions to jointly explore the future development of the cruise industry and accelerate the building of a new high-quality development system for the cruise industry in Shandong.

The High Quality Cruise Tourism Development Initiative launched by Shandong Coastal Cities Tourism Alliance, the Qingdao Cruise Tourism Development Alliance, and international cruise companies operating in China was also released at the event.

In addition, Shandong Port Cruise Culture and Tourism Group signed cooperation agreements with a batch of departments and enterprises, such as the Qingdao Municipal Port Affairs Office and Qingdao International Airport Group.

The forum also held the launch ceremony for the sea route from the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center to the cruise home port and the boutique tourist route of Weihai Shanhai No.1 to boost the development of cruise tourism.