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Present also to witness the arrival of the first cruise tourists directly from China was Ambassador of China, Liu Quan.
The tourist vessel departed from the port of Tianjin in China around November 30 on a 46-day itinerary around the South Pacific, which will see the tourists celebrating Christmas and New Year at sea on board the Costa Atlantica.
The voyage to Vanuatu and the rest of the Pacific became possible through Caissa Tourisitic, the exclusive travel service provider of the cruise. Other institutions that made this voyage possible include the South Seas Shipping and Vanuatu Tourism Office.
This first Pacific voyage with tourists from China saw the vessel cross the equator and is expected to cross the international date line to visit other countries in the Pacific.
While welcoming the vessel to Vanuatu in front of Captain Nicolo Alba, Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Natuman, who is responsible for tourism said while there are around 100 million tourists from China visiting other parts of the world, such initiative to get tourists directly from China is Vanuatu’s attempt to get at least 0.1 per cent of that number.
The Chinese tourists went mostly on pre-booked tours, while others strolled from the main wharf to the heart of Port Vila.
Other Pacific destinations that the Costa Atlantica is expected to visit include Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa.
These places are not merely innovative destinations for the Chinese outbound tourism market, but also vital intersections along the southern line of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
(Source: Vanuatu Daily 13 December 2015)
