More than 300 cruise industry professionals in Madrid to analyze the great potential of the Asian market, new trends in excursions and new technologies.
The fourth edition of the International Cruise Summit 2014 began its first day, focusing on mobile technology, a key element in the coming years for cruise lines and passengers. Passengers will be able to plan their cruises and book excursions via mobile devices, where informative videos about the destination will be available. Similarly, the introduction of boarding passes on mobile devices will reduce the need for large check-in areas in cruise terminals.
Representatives from the cruise lines agreed on the importance of tourism organizations collaborating with them by including cruises sailing in their areas of influence in their brochures. This is common practice in Asia, where such collaborations are typical.
Furthermore, during the debate, a change in stance was observed regarding excursions operated by third parties, which have gone from being widely criticized to being potential business partners in the industry.
They also discussed the new trends of bike or running excursions, especially in "Boutique" ports, as well as the great interest in shopping on the part of cruise passengers, for which extended shopping hours were recommended.
Gianni Onorato , CEO of MSC Cruises, highlighted that from May 2017 to May 2018, they would launch three new ships of two different classes. For the first time, MSC Cruises will build ships at Fincantieri, seeking new design ideas that clearly differentiate them from the ships built until now at STX Europe. He expressed great optimism about the future, as they will be investing 5 billion euros in new ships.
China dominated the debate on this first day thanks to the enormous expectations generated by its macroeconomic figures. According to Philip Orderver, International Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Crystal Cruises, the current cruise penetration rate in the Asia-Pacific region is 0.1%, representing 2 million cruise passengers.
If the US penetration rate of 3.3% were achieved, we would be talking about a market of 50 million passengers, which represents enormous potential, both for the development of the industry in Asia and for the reception of Asian cruises in Europe.
