Xiangjiang River Ferry Tour

Whether it is ordinary citizens living in Changsha or tourists visiting Star City, going sightseeing on the Xiangjiang River is a pleasant thing. However, there are currently less than 20 ships engaged in tourism on the Xiangjiang River, and there are only a few companies operating legally. They all feel that it is difficult to move forward.

There was a steady stream of people walking and dancing, and there were about 200 tourists waiting to board the "Noah 1" for a cruise on the Xiangjiang River. However, Hu Qianyun, the ship's general manager, frowned: "Half more people will be able to maintain their capital."

The same scene occurs at the West Lake Bridge next to Du Fu Jiangge Square. This evening, there were 10 yachts operating at the pier of Changsha Xinyu Tourism Passenger Transport Company, and only about 200 tourists boarded the boat that night. Their trip started from West Lake Bridge and returned to Juzizhou Head, which took about 40 minutes.

"It's a pity that our ship cannot land at Orange Island. If it could, I estimate that there could be more than 1,000 tourists every night." Zhang Yiquan, chairman of Xinyu Passenger Transport, lamented.

[Current situation] There are only three passenger transport companies

Changsha is world-famous as the "Shanshui Island City". Both sides of the Xiangjiang River gather the most famous landscapes such as Yuelu Mountain, Orange Island, and Wenjin Wharf. The scenic belt along the river alone cost 2 billion yuan.

The reporter learned from the Changsha Maritime Safety Bureau that there are only three companies engaged in water transportation tourism in Changsha. In addition to the Noah Cruise Line, which belongs to the famous "Noah 1", there are also Xinyu Passenger Transport and Changsha Yangfan. Leisure and Entertainment Co., Ltd. is engaged in this type of business, the former has 11 yachts and the latter has 6 yachts.

“Changsha has few water transportation and tourism enterprises, and their operations are difficult. They basically operate at a loss.” Kang Zhiqiang, chief of the Transportation Management Section of Changsha Maritime Safety Administration, said. On the Huangpu River in Shanghai, which also operates water tourism, it is a different scene. There are more than 20 large luxury cruise ships such as China, Captain One, and Rose Princess, and the tourists are quite popular.

[Operator said]

Noah 1: You will not starve to death even if you don’t survive

Noah Cruises, a subsidiary of Yuanda Group, has only one cruise ship - Noah 1, but Noah 1, which is permanently moored at Sail Plaza, undoubtedly has the highest reputation in Changsha. Even so, Noah One's business performance is lackluster, with most of its customers coming from South Korea and Taiwan.

Hu Qianyun said: "Affected by factors such as the World Cup, water sightseeing tours, which were originally in the peak consumption season, have also been ignored." Since July, although there have been more than 200 tourists every day, they are still at a loss. "At least 350 tourists a day can break even," Hu Qianyun said.

It is understood that Noah 1 has two fares, 158 yuan for sightseeing and 238 yuan for a buffet on the ship. In addition, the ship also hosts wedding banquets, birthday banquets and business activities, which has become the ship's biggest profit point.

“Since the launch of ‘Noah 1’ in 2005, ticket sales have been tepid, and we can neither sustain nor starve to death.” Hu Qianyun described the overall situation of Noah 1 this way.

Xinyu Passenger Transport: Basically nothing is gained

Compared with Noah’s high-end route, Xinyu takes the mass route.

The 20 yuan tour around Orange Island (40 minutes) was Xinyu Passenger Transport’s previous flagship project, but at such a “cabbage price”, only a few tourists came to visit.

Zhang Yiquan said that in the first half of the year, the company's business could only be maintained by 11 yachts. "Excluding expenses, we basically had no income." To ease financial pressure, Xinyu readjusted its route. One-day tours to Zhaoshan, one-day tours to Jinggang Ancient Town and night tours to the Xiangjiang River have been launched one after another, and the charges are approximately 168 yuan.

“We have done everything we can, but there is still no improvement,” Zhang Yiquan said.

It is understood that Xinyu also has a cruise ship with a capacity of 500 passengers, one large and one small. The maiden voyage ceremony will be held on the 23rd of this month. Tickets are tentatively priced at 48 yuan per person.

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It would be great if we could add Juzizhou Pier

and cross-river ferries

Currently, Xinyu Passenger Transport has provided services to Changsha City The Maritime Safety Administration and the Transportation Bureau applied for the construction of barges and docks at Juzizhoutou, striving to open the Juzizhou ferry. "Once passed, the company will invest 20 million to create this Changsha water business card."

Zhang Yiquan believes that the Changsha water transport tourism market is huge. If there are enough funds and media promotion, we will be more confident in doing it. "This is business. Just look at the water tourism market and see the popularity of Nianjia Lake in Martyrs Park."

Some practitioners have put forward suggestions for developing the Xiangjiang River water tourism market: First, we must The opening of additional ferries and cross-river ferries will not only alleviate some of the pressure on the first and second Xiangjiang River bridges, but more importantly, it can develop a new tourism market; second, the policy must allow yachts to dock at the head of Orange Island, which has many scenic spots. , which has considerable appeal to guests.