China’s first home-grown large cruise ship has now handled 1 million passengers since its commercial debut two years ago, a sign of progress as Beijing strives to boost household spending on services and cultivate new growth drivers.

The operator of the Adora Magic City announced the news via its website on Sunday, saying it aimed to propel the growth of China’s cruise economy and establish a “Chinese benchmark” for the global cruise industry.

Construction of the company’s second domestically made cruise ship, the Adora Flora City, is over 90 per cent complete, according to the firm. The vessel – which is being built by a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation – is scheduled to be delivered this year and will then operate on international routes from its base in Guangzhou, southern China.

On Friday, policymakers unveiled a road map for turning the transport sector into a driver of domestic demand, which identified cruise ships and yachts as key potential growth areas.

“Support will be extended to eligible regions to develop cruise services and broaden the network of cruise home port routes,” said Liu Dong, a senior official in the Ministry of Transport’s planning department, at a press conference in Beijing.