Guangzhou district, Nansha held its Third Nansha International Cruise Tourism Cultural Festival from Dec 5 to 9, promoting cruise tourism by staging a variety of performances and activities.

One of the highlights of the event was the finals of an invitational mermaid tournament featuring 30 mermaids from different countries. The mermaids performed fantastically and showcased their swimming, free-dive breathing, synchronized swimming, underwater ballet and underwater rescue skills.  

Ctrip, a well-known travel service provider, also launched a series of events and invited travellers from home and abroad to visit Nansha, calling upon the best Nansha tour guides and pushing a special promotional event for Nansha cruise ships.

The Third Nansha International Cruise Tourism Cultural Festival is held in Nansha from Dec 5 to 9. [Photo/gznsnews.com] 

Since the official opening of the Nansha International Cruise Ship Terminal in January 2016, cruise tourism in Nansha has developed rapidly. According to statistics, 87 cruise ships hosted 446,500 passengers in Nansha from January to November, an increase of 20.36 percent year-on-year.

The Hong Kong-based Dream Cruises has opened nine routes from the Nansha terminal to 12 destinations in Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, meaning the Nansha terminal now has more routes to Southeast Asian countries than any other terminal in mainland China.

Mermaids pose for a group photo at the Third Nansha International Cruise Tourism Cultural Festival. [Photo/gznsnews.com]

This year, Nansha district also issued supporting policies to promote the development of the cruise industry by granting settlement awards, housing subsidies, route-opening awards, promotion subsidies, and more. Nansha district will offer 500,000 yuan ($72,480) to 5 million ($720,480) yuan to cruise companies, cruise terminal companies, cruise organizations, and travel agencies who set up operations in the district (subsidy amount is based on company size).

Nansha also launched a new "cruise plus scenic spot" tourism model, which offers a second waiting room for visitors so they don't have to waste time waiting for their cruise ship. Instead, they are given an opportunity to see the unique scenery of Nansha by taking boats directly to Nansha Port for departure.

A participant of the invitational mermaid tournament in Nansha. [Photo/gznsnews.com] 

Located in the center of the Pearl River Delta near Hong Kong and Macao, Nansha enjoys a great location and is at the center of the Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Area and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. As a globally influential tourist destination, distribution center and source of tourists, Nansha's cruises are in strong demand and have huge development potential.

According to insiders, the construction of the Nansha Cruise Home Port, with a capacity of 750,000 passengers, is being accelerated and is expected to become operational in 2019. The terminal project has alrady been completed and in the future, 100,000-ton and 225,000-ton cruise ship berths will be built, making the port one of the largest of its kind in China. The port is expected to propel the development of Nansha's cruise industry, revitalize Nansha's marine tourism industry, and help Guangzhou continue to play a leading role in the economic development of South China.

Cultural activities such as lion dances are staged at the Third Nansha International Cruise Tourism Cultural Festival. [Photo/gznsnews.com]