China and Asia’s cruise economies remain in a modest expansion range, according to the 2026 indices presented at the Shanghai Cruise Economy Development Forum on 9 November. The readings were 102.30 for China and 102.52 for Asia, forum co-organiser CEIBS reported on 10 November.
The figures are index levels, not passenger-growth percentages. Presented by researcher Qiu Ling, the assessment describes a Chinese market working through short-term pressures while improving the quality of its supply. The research team expects both measures to strengthen in 2026–2027, with China potentially recovering lost momentum. That is a forecast rather than an achieved result.
The more significant change for operators may be the composition of demand. Shangguan News’ 10 November account of the research says outbound homeport traffic has contracted during the period from late 2025 into 2026, while inbound homeport passengers have grown under China’s cruise visa-exemption arrangements. The researchers identify inbound travel as the largest medium- to long-term source of additional demand.
The same analysis describes an Asian market increasingly supported by several centres, including China and Singapore, rather than primarily by growth in Chinese homeport departures. For ports and cruise companies, that places greater emphasis on serving both arriving international guests and local outbound passengers. The published summaries do not provide a full methodology or a passenger-volume forecast, so the index should be read as a directional assessment, not a substitute for bookings or port-throughput data.
Illustration: AI-generated for Cruise Industry Asia. Conceptual regional collage, not a photograph, route map or representation of index data.
