China to overtake US as world’s main cruise liner market, says Royal Caribbean chief executive
US luxury cruise operator has eyes on China’s huge and expanding middle class with new fleet of giant liners
China is expected to surpass the United States as the largest market for Royal Caribbean cruises in the coming years, according to its chief executive.
“Today in the US there are probably 11 million people taking cruises every year, and in China there are about 1.5 million,” said Michael Bayley, head of Royal Caribbean International.
“When you think about the different population, the size of the growing middle class, at some point in the future, we think there will be as many Chinese taking cruises, and we would like to be the major one.”
China is already the second largest market for Royal Caribbean, and in the latest effort to tap into the fast-growing market mainland market, the cruise liner christened its newest ship, Ovation of the Seas, in northern China’s port city of Tianjin.
Fan Bingbing, one of the most popular Chinese actresses, was named “godmother” of the newest and third vessel in the shipping lines Quantum class fleet.
