GUILIN - China is expected to become the world's second largest cruise market by 2017, experts said at an ongoing tourism forum in South China's Guilin city.

In 2014, 1.72 million people from the Chinese mainland booked cruises, up 43 percent year on year and 20 percentage points above the average in the Asian-Pacific region.

So far, China has become the eighth biggest cruise market in the world, Wu Bihu, secretary general of the International Tourism Association, said at the UNWTO forum.

"By 2017, China will exceed Britain to become the second largest cruise market. Short distance, large capacity and luxury resorts will be the trend of future cruise trips," Wu said.

Experts also forecast China will make 3.5 million cruise trips by the year 2020, becoming the most dynamic cruise market in the Asia-Pacific Region.