Chongqing—As Chongqing's inbound tourism booms, experts say the Yangtze River cruise could keep international visitors in the region longer, but only if it fixes language gaps, rushed itineraries and other weaknesses.

In late autumn, mist drifts over the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River like a living ink painting. The 17th China Yangtze River Three Gorges International Tourism Festival recently opened in Wanzhou, Chongqing, marking 17 years of efforts to bring the world to the gorges.

An aerial view shows a boat sailing through Kuimen in Fengjie County, Chongqing. (Photo/Li Yuheng)

Chongqing's cyberpunk cityscape has gone viral on overseas social media, putting the Three Gorges on more travelers' radar. The next challenge is persuading those visitors to stay longer and share what they see. According to Liu Xiangyan, a researcher at the China Tourism Academy, Three Gorges cruises may hold the key.

A big market still untapped

China's inbound tourism grew in both scale and quality in 2025, Liu said. The country received 154.5 million inbound visitor trips, with foreign arrivals up 30.6 percent. Chongqing led the way, welcoming 2.148 million inbound visits, up 68.2 percent, the fastest growth among China's 20 major cities.

"Chongqing offers something fresh about China," Liu said, pointing to the striking night views at Hongyadong and trains running through buildings.

The cruise market has yet to fully catch up, however. Research by Yu Yifeng, dean of the School of Tourism at Hubei University, found that Three Gorges cruises carried 1.201 million passenger trips in 2025, and overseas visitors made up just 9.8 percent, below the 2018 peak of 11.6 percent.

Industry insiders say long-haul travelers from Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand are the core of the international river cruise market. In Europe's river cruise market, long-haul travelers account for 46 percent of passengers but 71 percent of ticket revenue.

Gaps in the experience

"The Three Gorges is one of the most promising answers to the question of why foreign tourists should stay in Chongqing for three to five days," Liu said. Unlike a one-day city tour, a cruise naturally keeps visitors longer.

But reviews on platforms such as TripAdvisor over the past three years point to problems. Among the many praising the gorges' scenery and history, one review from January 2025 stood out: "This is a ship that advertises service in English and Mandarin, but in reality not a single person spoke English."

Yu's team identified four main problems: rushed, one-size-fits-all itineraries; weak international services; scenery that sometimes falls short of expectations; and scattered attractions that are hard to reach. Some Western travelers complained that the trip felt like "rushing by boat." Older passengers struggled to climb hundreds of steps at docks without accessible facilities. Others said floating litter or heavy fog made the real views less impressive than the promotional photos.

"There's a gap between the image we project and what visitors actually experience," Yu said. The official focus on "canyon scenery plus the dam" can lead some overseas audiences to see the cruise as something "only for older people" or "a floating buffet." If service doesn't improve, negative reviews could drag down the cruise's reputation for years.

Four shifts to win global travelers

Liu said the goal should be to move from chasing visitor numbers to creating lasting value, through four key shifts.

First, the Three Gorges should become a complete international travel product rather than just a scenic area. Ideally, foreign travelers would think of China as "the Great Wall in Beijing, the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an and a Three Gorges cruise in Chongqing." That means eight- to 10-day in-depth itineraries for Western travelers, and shorter trips focused on city life, food and photography for young Southeast Asian travelers.

Second, the focus should shift from luxury hardware to cultural interpretation. "True luxury isn't about fancy rooms. It's about a travel experience that helps people truly understand China," Liu said. Stories of the Three Kingdoms period and the Three Gorges Dam should be told in ways foreign visitors can easily grasp.

Third, promotion should turn into global sales. For high-priced cruises, bookings are usually made through international online travel platforms, overseas travel agents and specialist river cruise sellers. Liu urged cruise companies to offer full product lines on platforms such as Trip.com, Klook and Viator, and to target mature markets like North America and Europe.

Finally, cruises should connect the ship with the shore. A voyage should be judged not just by passenger numbers, but by how long visitors stay and how much they spend in towns like Wanzhou, Fengjie and Wushan. Adding intangible heritage, local food, community experiences and nightlife onshore would turn passing visitors into local spending.

A Three Gorges cruise is a journey to understand China along the Yangtze, combining the country's most spectacular scenery with thousands of years of history. As it works to stand out, go global and reshape its story, the cruise's next chapter is one to watch.