(Yicai) Sept. 18 -- River cruises in China are evolving from traditional sightseeing trips into integrated leisure and vacation experiences, with the number of international tourists rising rapidly, according to a recent report.

China’s river cruise industry has begun to develop a dual-core network centered on the main waterways of the Yangtze River, which traverses central China, and the Pearl River, which winds through the south of the country, according to a report recently released by the China Tourism Academy.

The Yangtze and Pearl rivers have emerged as the two leading hubs of China’s river cruise industry, according to the report. As of August, 47 inter-provincial cruise vessels were operating along the main channel of the Yangtze, with a combined capacity of 21,351 passengers. The Pearl River had 39 cruise ships with a total capacity of 10,690 passengers, ranking second nationwide. Cruises along the Yangtze had an average occupancy rate of 79.5 percent in the first seven months.

Meanwhile, the inbound tourism market is growing rapidly. The number of international tourists taking Yangtze River cruises surged 56.8 percent last year from the previous year to 117,600 and their share of total passengers jumped to 9.8 percent from 1.5 percent in 2023. On the Pearl River, the number of foreign tourists on the Guangzhou Linhang Liner soared around 75 percent to 61,000.

The influx of new customer groups is creating room for growth while also intensifying structural differentiation in the river cruise market.

Passenger numbers on luxury cruises along the Yangtze River’s famed Three Gorges surged 18.2 percent in the first five months from a year ago, while those on economy cruises slumped 21.3 percent, according to data from the Chongqing Shipping Exchange. The share of passengers taken up by luxury cruises rose to 86 percent from 82 percent in 2023.

“The silver-haired population is still the main consumer group for river cruises. People aged 60 and above accounted for more than 56 percent of passengers on Three Gorges cruises in June,” said Song Ziqian, chief planner at the China Tourism Academy. “However, younger and middle-aged travellers are also showing growing interest in the sector.”

China had 128,700 kilometers of navigable inland waterways at the end of 2025, including 68,600 kilometers of classified waterways, according to data from the Ministry of Transport. Inland ports had 16,540 ‌berths for commercial operations.

Editor: Kim Taylor