The CIIE International Cruise Service and Trade Summit Forum, a sideline activity of China International Import Expo (CIIE), was launched in Shanghai Nov 9.

The event gathered 400 participants, including government officials, industry insiders and experts.

Shanghai has attached great importance to the development of the cruise industry, releasing a document of suggestions on the development of Shanghai's cruise economy.

To promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and Yangtze River Delta regional integration in terms of service, manufacturing, shopping, culture, tourism and other industrial chains, and to speed up the construction of an international first-class cruise port, a complete cruise economy industrial chain has been formed, which is expected to become the headquarters of Asia-Pacific cruise enterprises and a cruise economic center with global influence.

During the event, a group of cruise related enterprises signed a contract to settle in Baoshan district, Shanghai. In addition, a group of cruise service trade buyers reached a transaction intention with overseas exhibitors at the expo and signed a transaction contract, creating a total transaction amount of 1.2 billion yuan ($ 170 million).