(Bloomberg) -- China’s northeast welcomed its first international cruise ship since the pandemic amid a slow return of foreign visitors to the country since last year’s reopening.

The Zuiderdam, operated by Holland America Line, docked at Dalian on Sunday before continuing its journey to Tianjin, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The ship, which has more than 2,000 tourists and staff on board, is the first to visit northeast China since the country allowed the full resumption of cruises in September, Xinhua News Agency reported.

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China has faced a slow recovery in inbound tourism since it removed the last of its Covid Zero curbs as prospective visitors struggle with complicated visa procedures, a shortage of flights and difficulties using digital payment services. At the same time, many Chinese are eschewing trips abroad in favor of domestic travel as economic headwinds put the brakes on spending.

The Chinese government has rolled out a series of measures to attract more tourists, including allowing visa-free entry for travelers from a growing list of European and Asian countries. 

The country’s first domestically built cruise ship also started operations this year. The Adora Magic City will mainly make short trips around Northeast Asia, though it’s expected to add Southeast Asia routes and possibly a longer-haul ‘Maritime Belt & Road’ route in the future.

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