CCTV News: On January 8, the first visiting port cruise ship in 2025 carrying more than 400 passengers arrived in Shanghai and berthed at the Shanghai Port International Passenger Transport Center Terminal. The cruise ship will stay in Shanghai for two days, and the next stop will be Tokyo, Japan, and continue its global trip.

At around 11 a.m. on January 8, more than 400 foreign passengers arrived at the border inspection hall of the International Passenger Transport Center one after another. On May 15 last year, the State Immigration Administration fully implemented the visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups to enter the country, increasing the number of cruise ports that apply visa-free entry to 13. In December, the 240-hour transit visa-free policy was implemented, and 21 new ports were added as ports for transit visa-free entry and exit, greatly improving the convenience and attractiveness of cruise inbound travel.

It is understood that these tourists from different countries such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany will go to the Bund, the Oriental Pearl, the Shanghai Museum, the National Convention and Exhibition Center and other places to experience the unique charm of Shanghai.

According to statistics, in 2024, Shanghai Port received 247 international cruise ships and 1.3759 million cruise passengers. Among them, there were 231 ships in the home port, receiving 1.3405 million passengers; there were 16 ships in the Hong Kong port, receiving 35,400 passengers. In 2025, more than 20 cruises in the visiting port are expected to arrive in Shanghai.