Tragedy may prompt cruise industry revamp

Rapid growth

According to the online travel information website Pinchain, since the 1980s the cruise liner industry in Chongqing, western China's only municipality and the biggest port on the Yangtze, witnessed rapid growth from its humble beginnings in 1978, when a US-based travel agency rented the liner Kunlun to carry tourists on a cruise along the river.

At the time, Yangtze cruises were operated by and for foreigners, but within a few years a number of Chinese companies had joined the industry, with some operating joint cargo and passenger services.

The industry's big breakthrough came in 1992, when the government announced the Three Gorges Dam project, including the world's largest hydroelectric power plant, and millions of tourists flocked to the river to take a "last look" at the famous scenic spot before it was submerged forever.

Now, 17 cruise companies are based in Chongqing and a further four are headquartered in neighboring Hubei province, providing a combined fleet of 85 vessels, according to China Travel News. Of those 85 vessels, more than 30 luxury liners cater to foreign tourists, while the others serve domestic travelers.