2013 International Conference on Advances in Social Science, Humanities, and Management (ASSHM 2013) Research on the Taiwan Strait Cruise Circle CHEN Lingling, HUANG Jianshe, XIAO Hong XIAO Xiao (College of Navigation, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China) Abstract Plan" about improving port, developing passenger transport, transforming Dongdu “The Taiwan Strait cruise circle” refers to area berths, expanding the cruise terminal cruise industry economic circle which shoreline and building the international located between Northeast and Southeast cruise home port. There also have some Asia cruise circle. It is regional economic development bottlenecks of Xiamen itself, concept. This paper through the present such as passenger capacity, economic development situation of cruise economy hinterland capacity as well as to the route and development background of Taiwan policy about Taiwan and so on. So the Strait cruise circle, separately from three research for "Taiwan Strait cruise circle" aspects such as the cruise port facilities, is particularly significant, how to break tourist market, route setting to analyzed the bottleneck and create a good "Taiwan the prospect of "Strait cruise economic Strait cruise circle" is worthy of our study. circle", do thinking and suggestions such as integration of resources surrounding ports, increase policy support, personnel 2. Present situation of Cruise economy training and other aspects to promote its development progress. Cruise industry is rapidly developing, although the impact of financial crisis in Keywords: Taiwan Strait Cruise Circle; 2008, the number of passenger growth Cruise Industry; Regional Cruise Home has slowed, but then began to increase Port year by year. In 2012, Cruise passengers carried worldwide are about 15.7 million, 1. Introduction and the worldwide cruise market value is estimated 24.5 billion. Cruise industry has Since twenty-first century, the North an enormous contribution to the economy. American market increasingly saturated Some cities of China have completed the and European international cruise market constructions of International Passenger suffers the influence of economic crisis in Center, such as Shanghai, Xiamen and past two years, cruise market gradually Sanya. They also had opened a cruise eastward. The Cruise company intends to home port route, Xiamen cruise home open up new markets in China, they begin port normalization route has been carried to pay attention to the tourist market of out [1]. Cruise development condition in Asia and China, many of them choose China gradual mature, outbound tourism China's coastal port as port of call, the market grows steadily, there is unlimited number of International luxury cruise potential. This will bring opportunities which received by China coastal port and challenges to China's economy, and increased year by year. The development lay the foundation for the development of of cruise industry is of great significance Chinese home port. to Xiamen economy, Xiamen has made the project at the "Twelfth Five Year © 2013. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press ------------------------------------------ Foundation item: Soft science fund project of Fujian Province(2013R0077); Project of Xiamen Municipal Development and 874 Reform Commission(20120016) Author brief introduction: CHEN Lingling（1989-）, female, Putian, Fujian, Master Degree Candidate, Engaged in the research of transportation planning and management, [email protected] 3. The development background of the the mother port city. Xiamen once only as "Taiwan Strait Cruise Circle" a cruise port of call exists due to various factors. In December 2008, the realization 3.1. The birth of the “Taiwan Strait of direct shipping links across the Taiwan Cruise Circle" idea Straits, the cross-strait passenger number revealed an increasing tendency, vigorous In the case of Xiamen, the development development of the cross-strait direct of cruise economy is not only an opportu- shipping created favorable conditions for nity, but also a challenge. The develop- cross-strait communication and personnel ment of Xiamen cruise industry economy contact. Under background of promoting is undoubtedly promoted, but Xiamen Straits economic zone and the Southeast also faced huge pressure of competition. international shipping center construction, Xiamen's economy hinter-land has a big Xiamen port and harbor in Taiwan jointly gap with the Yangtze and the Pearl River proposed the idea of "the cruise economic Delta. Economic condition and regional circle" that build 11 channel cruise line population is far less than Shanghai and products with Xiamen as the center. (as Tianjin. Xiamen should base on location showed in Table 1), highlights significant advantage and the characteristics of their advantages of the Taiwan Strait cruise own, build the regional characteristics of circle 8 hours "gold". Tab1. The product of cruise line Xiamen-Jinmen-Penghu-Xiamen Three short range cruise Xiamen-Penghu-Keelung-Xiamen experience products Xiamen-Keelung-Taichung-Kaohsiung-Xiamen Shanghai-Xiamen-Taichung-Keelung-Shanghai Three double port cruise Shanghai-Xiamen-Penghu-Taichung-Keelung-Shanghai products Shanghai-Zhoushan-Taichung-Keelung-Shanghai Xiamen-Penghu-Kaohsiung-hongkong-Xiamen Four three places of two Hongkong-Xiamen-Keelung-Taichung-Kaohsiung-hongkong sides circular cruise products Xiamen-Penghu-Kaohsiung-Guangzhou-Xiamen Xiamen-Penghu-Kaohsiung-Shengzhen-Xiamen One Taiwan around Xiamen-Taichung-Kaohsiung-Hualie-Keelung-Xiamen Island Cruise products 3.2. The new concept of "Taiwan Strait laid between northeast Asia and southeast Cruise Circle" Asia cruise circle (as shown in fig. 1). Xiamen has a unique advantage to [2] Taiwan Strait cruise circle is regional Taiwan, which is beneficial to create economical concept, covered the ports "Strait cruise ring", radiation north to including Xiamen, Shanghai, Zhoushan, Northeast Asian countries and regions, Hongkong, Macao special administrative and south to Southeast Asia countries and regions and Taiwan, Keelung, Taichung, regions, built the dynamic regional cruise Kaohsiung, Hualie and other ports, which 875 home port along the southeast coast of the international cruise center. The birth china finally. of international cruise center has become a booster for Xiamen cruise economy, Dongdu port as a follow-up development of cruise center can berth 3~4 small and medium-size international cruise or above two 100000 ton cruise at the same time. Keelung and Kaohsiung are Taiwan's two largest commercial ports, in order to fight for the cruise business opportunities, Keelung and Kaohsiung port present the construction of passenger transport and port building in 2009. The building can provide every 3000 passengers capacity, wharf can accommodate two 100000 ton cruises. In August 31, 2012, Keelung port received Asia's largest cruise ship "Ocean Voyager", in order to meet the "Voyager of the seas", Taiwan spent 300 million NT so as to the wharf can be deepened to 10 m. We can say, Keelung and Kaohsiung port also have equipped the infrastructure conditions. Fig. 1: Schematic diagram of Taiwan Strait 4.2. The exploitation of tourist market cruise circle Recent years, the number of mainland tourists in Taiwan region is increasing, 4. "Analysis of the development of before 2008 the increasing growth steady, Taiwan Strait Cruise Circle" and then showed a positively proportional growth (as shown in Fig. 2). 4.1. Cruise port facilities continue to improve From table 1, route setting involving Hongkong, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Kaohsiung, Keelung, Penghu, Hualie, Taichung, Kinmen of Taiwan, which is mainly focussed on the Taiwan region. In order to promote cruise economy development, construct regional cruise circle, infrastructure construction Fig. 2: Taiwan area inbound passengers of the home port is essential. With the change in recent 10 years [3] rapid development of world and China cruise industry, cruise trend to giant, in This is because relevant travel policy 2011, Xiamen's government decided to on Taiwan is gradually relaxed from 2008, transform Dongdu port area of Xiamen including direct cross-strait, "mini three port, turn dongdu freight port to cruise links" and "three the direct links" mode, home port. At present, the Wharf used to Mainland and Taiwan achieved the direct receive international cruise is located in sea. In the second half of 2008, Taiwan 876 began to open groups of people travel to development, It is significant to boost Taiwan. 2011, Taiwan opened individual both sides economy. city freedom to the mainland, including 4.3. The rationality of shipping routes Shanghai, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen. setting etc. At the same time, opened Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu three the outlying islands Xiamen located in Taiwan Strait cruise free lines. There are about more than circle center, north to Shanghai, south to 7311000 entry people in Taiwan in 2012. Hongkong, closest to Taiwan, location In "Channel cruise industry promotion advantages are obvious, and the route meeting" which Held in July 30, 2013, the distance to Taiwan, Hong Kong and general manager of Hongkong Tourism Shanghai port meet evening-morning plan, Development Bureau Huang Zhuoxiong highlight "golden eight hours' advantage. proposed: “Hongkong is a great tourist It's a reasonable adopting the combination market”. According the news of National of short and medium line setting, it can Tourism Administration of Hong Kong adapt to Chinese living habit at the same