Asia/Pacific News
Asia-Pacific Poised for Jump in Cruise Industry, Panel Says
The cruise industry could find 300 million passengers in the Asia-Pacific region with just a 1 percent market penetration, as long as the appropriate infrastructure is in place, according to a panel of cruise line executives speaking at the second annual Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific event in Singapore.
Christine Duffy, president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association, said the U.S. has a 3 percent penetration rate now, pointing to the 28,000-square-meter Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, which was completed in May, as an example of the possibilities.
Gianni Onorato, president of Costa Crociere (Costa), said two major challenges for the industry are developing a consumer market and achieving the port infrastructure necessary to accommodate cruise ships at many ports of call.
"The major issue here is to explain what cruising is to the customers," Onorato said.
"The second challenge is how to offer destinations and itineraries that can be reached in a competitive way cost-wise.”
Onorato said Costa, which is based in Italy, has two ships in the region and has spent tens of millions of Euros developing the market in China over the past six years.
Kevin Leong, general manager of the Asia Cruise Association, said cruise lines would bring in more ships if there were enough ports of call in the region.
"It is ongoing work and will take some time to make it happen,” he said.
“There is a sense of urgency to create more facilities."
The Marina Bay Cruise Centre, where the event was held, can accommodate 6,800 passengers at a time and effectively doubles Singapore’s berth capacity, allowing the nation to cater to the world’s largest cruise ships, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.
The Centre is run by a joint venture between SATS Ltd., a Singapore aviation services and hospitality company, and European cruise operator Creuers del Port de Barcelona S.A., according to its official website.
