Celebrating the tenth anniversary
By Virginia López Valiente
Managing Director of Cruises News Media Group and Editor of CruisesNews magazine
Editorial from CruisesNews magazine no. 54 – October 2020
Our flagship event, the International Cruise Summit, celebrates its tenth anniversary in the midst of a pandemic. We couldn't have imagined a more uncertain scenario. Even though it was conceived as a hybrid event, both in-person and online, we still can't know what it will ultimately look like, as travel and capacity restrictions may further impact its execution.
Therefore, our tenth anniversary becomes the ICS of the industry's reconstruction. We've talked a lot during this time, but we've mostly been speculating about what the future will hold, and the future is always different from what's planned.
We have so much to discuss and analyze. Cruise lines have changed; they've all changed. Some have even disappeared.
Those of us who work in this sector need information; we need to know how to work together to restore traveler confidence, what new marketing and sales strategies will help travel agents implement theirs to reach travelers. Cruise tourism has been singled out by the media and governments, and confrontation is not the answer. Only hard work and best practices will restore this damaged but committed industry to its rightful place.
More than 40 speakers from across the industry are preparing their presentations for an ICS that this year has adapted its schedule to time zones across more than half the world so that knowledge and information can reach far and wide. And since knowledge is fundamental, we'll be discussing science and vaccines with a renowned scientist from the Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Cambridge. It all began with the expectation that everything would return to normal in a few months, but the truth is that many of the practices implemented now are here to stay, both because of this and future health threats.
In addition, an expert coach will talk to us about that word we didn't use in Spanish but which our language reserved for this occasion: "resilience." As an example, we've invited Abu Merhi Cruises, whose cruise ship was docked in the port of Beirut during this summer's explosion and was completely destroyed.
We will present new initiatives, analyze passenger sentiment, discuss the state and maintenance of the fleet during these months, the role of destinations and ports, and the future—especially the future—of excursions, marketing, technology, investments, and ship size. We will conclude with the hope and enthusiasm that in 2021 the International Cruise Summit will continue to look to the future with the prestige it has earned over the years.
Perhaps any celebrations will have to wait until then.
