Cruise travel between China, South Korea reaches new record with some 2,700 passengers disembarking in Shanghai, boosted by visa‑free policy
The largest one-time inflow of South Korean tourists to China on a single cruise voyage was recorded on Tuesday in Shanghai, when the cruise ship Costa Serena returned to Shanghai’s Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal after a one‑year hiatus, the China News Service reported.
Of the more than 2,700 passengers onboard the cruise ship, some 98 percent were South Korean travelers, according to the report, which cited data from border authorities.
The arrival set a new record for the largest number of inbound passengers from South Korea on a single voyage since China began a trial visa‑free policy for ordinary passport holders from South Korea in November 2024, as China’s visa-free policy has continued to deliver substantial benefits, the report said.
