Tag Archives: hamburg

Chinese Tourism Starting to Climb Back?

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Chinese tourism is starting to climb back, according to COTRI (China Outbound Tourism Research Institute).

COTRI said in a prepared statement that the speed of the recovery process is impressive with reports from many cities indicating that it takes only about a week to get a new passport and that travel restrictions are also falling by the wayside quickly.

The clash between South Korea and China over discriminatory treatment seems to be over. South Koreans can now get visas for China again and the South Korean government has ended special treatment for the Chinese, COTRI said.

European Union countries have reportedly also agreed to phase out COVID-19 restrictions on travellers from China and will also stop random testing of travellers from China by the middle of March.

Chinese companies have also started investing in outbound tourism infrastructure again with the Shanghai retailer Yuyuan Tourist Mart announcing plans to invest about US$120 million in a Japanese ski resort project on Hokkaido.

Airlines are bringing back a multitude of routes to and from China and ticket prices are in most cases back to pre-pandemic levels, according to COTRI.

Business, studies and family reunions are major reasons for the first outbound travellers, the research institute said, but the first leisure tourists have already been sighted not only in the neighbouring countries but also in Sydney, Paris and Milan.

It was less than two months ago that Chinese citizens could again apply for passports and just two weeks ago that Chinese tour operators were officially allowed to sell outbound trips for what is called “group travel” to 20 destinations, even though most customers are said just to buy air tickets and hotel reservations.

Contributing to the interest in travel, COTRI said, are all the marriages that have been put on hold during COVID, expecting to result in a wave of honeymoon trips.

The year 2022 ended with a total number of outbound trips below nine million, about 5 per cent of the 2019 level. Five million of these trips went no further than Macau. Hong Kong welcomed 375,000 mainlanders, five times the number of 2021, but still less than 1 per cent of the 2019 arrivals.

Assuming no further disruptions or an attack on Taiwan, COTRI said, Chinese travellers could make the steep climb back to the top of all international tourism source markets during the current year.

COTRI is a research organization for the China outbound tourism market-based in Hamburg, Germany.

MSC Virtuosa the First Ship to Dock in Hamburg in 2023

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MSC Virtuosa arriving into Southampton Photo Credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)
The MSC Virtuosa was the first cruise ship to dock in Hamburg in 2023.

The MSC Virtuosa arrived in Hamburg on January 1, 2023, marking the beginning of this year’s cruise season. 

From January 8 to January 29, the ship will set course for the Canary Islands for three weeks. The ship will make calls in Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Lisbon, Cadiz and Casablanca followed by visits to the Atlantic islands of Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. On the way back to Hamburg, the MSC Virtuosa will call in La Coruna and Southampton.

The MSC Virtuosa will make several calls in Hamburg before April 16 turning around in the German port.

 In the summer of 2023, the cruise ship will then depart from Southampton, England for Norway or southern Europe. 

The MSC Euribia will then take over the trips to Hamburg from the MSC Virtuosa. In the summer of 2023, it will depart from Kiel and head to the Norwegian fjords. Throughout the 2023/2024 season, the MSC Euribia will return to Hamburg on a weekly basis.

The Port of Hamburg is expecting around 280 calls from cruise ships in 2023. The highlights in the port are the port birthday from May 5 to 7, 2023, and the Cruise Days from September 8 to 10, 2023. 

Port of Hamburg Sets a New Record with 280 Calls

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Cruise Gate Hamburg (CGH) set a new record with 280 calls in the 2022 cruise season, ending it with a positive outlook.

According to a press release, so far Hamburg has received 280 calls by 49 different ships from 20 cruise lines, ten maiden calls, one christening and roughly 750,000 passengers as well as 41 calls by river cruise ships.

“After two years of pandemic-related restrictions, cruise shipping in Hamburg has made a strong comeback,” commented Simone Maraschi, managing director of CGH.

“At 280 calls the 2022 cruise season has seen the most calls ever at Hamburg, surpassing even pre-pandemic levels (2019: 210 calls). We are very happy about the high demand for cruises departing from Hamburg. For us, it is proof that the enormous efforts and the adaptability demonstrated by the entire industry during the COVID-19 pandemic are truly appreciated.”

CGH is expecting an even better cruise season in 2023. The port expects another record number of calls (283) and a further 37 calls by river cruise ships.

Apart from that, cruise fans in Hamburg can look forward to multiple entertainment events including eight maiden calls scheduled for 2023 as well as a celebration of the 834th port anniversary. 

Hamburg is also working on strengthening its position as one of Europe’s most sustainable ports. 

Jens Meier, CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority AöR, said: “Ports play a crucial role in decarbonization and keeping the air clean. Shore-side electricity enables us to significantly reduce ships’ emissions while they are docking at the Port of Hamburg.

“By rapidly expanding its shore power facilities, the Port of Hamburg shows its commitment to protecting the environment and takes account of the expectations Hamburg’s citizens have of a city port. We are looking forward to being one of Europe’s first ports to offer both cruise ships and container vessels shore-based power at the berth in 2025.”

In 2022, 30 cruise ships relied on the Altona shore power station. In 2023, 12 more ships will undergo integration tests so they can become certified and use the shore power station while they’re docked.