us cruise liner taps into growing asian market
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

US cruise liner taps into growing Asian market

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today US cruise liner taps into growing Asian market

View from top deck of Sapphire Princess cruise
Singapore - AFP

US-based Princess Cruises, the world's third largest cruise line, launched its first Singapore-based service on Thursday in a move to tap into the emerging Southeast Asian cruise travel market.
Industry players said a fast-rising middle class, which has fuelled a boom in budget air travel, is also likely to drive demand in the region's fledgling cruise market.
More than 2,500 guests were due to depart from the city-state Thursday evening aboard the 116,000-tonne Sapphire Princess for an 11-day voyage that will take them to Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand before returning, company officials said.
About 30 percent of the passengers on the trip are Asians, said Farriek Tawfik, Southeast Asia director at Princess Cruises, which is part of the world's largest cruise group, Carnival Corporation.
The 18-storey luxury ship, stretching nearly the length of three football fields, will be based in Singapore until March next year, expecting to carry 40,000 passengers on voyages lasting from three to 17 days.
Princess Cruises said it will return for a second homeporting season later next year.
Cruise travel is still in its "infancy" in Southeast Asia partly because of "misconceptions" that such trips are boring and concerns over seasickness, Tawfik told reporters.
But "the potential for growth is vibrant and exciting in this region," said Tawfik.
Several other cruise liners have operations in Singapore, including Star, Costa, Cunard and Royal Caribbean.
The Cruise Liners International Association said in a report last week that the 52 vessels operating in Asia have the potential to carry 2.17 million passengers next year, up from 1.81 million this year.
Tawfik said Asian passengers currently make up seven percent of the total world cruise travel market, but this should rise to around 20 percent by 2020. Two thirds of the world's middle class will be in Asia by 2030, he said.
Cruise travel is already popular in China, Japan and Taiwan, but Southeast Asia's expanding middle class means it has potential for strong growth, he added.
Southeast Asia has 25,000 islands, compared with the Caribbean which has only 7,000 islands, said Tawfik.
"The Caribbean used to be what you call the Mecca of the cruise industry... but we have the potential to be just like them or better," he said.

 

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

us cruise liner taps into growing asian market us cruise liner taps into growing asian market

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

us cruise liner taps into growing asian market us cruise liner taps into growing asian market

 



GMT 12:11 2017 Thursday ,27 July

Tony Baroud to present new TV show

GMT 23:00 2017 Monday ,16 October

Egypt FM to head for Slovenia on Monday

GMT 20:06 2017 Friday ,20 January

Daesh in new demolitions at Syria’s Palmyra

GMT 21:06 2017 Friday ,24 November

Marriyum condemns Hayatabad terrorists attack

GMT 01:00 2017 Saturday ,25 November

Cabinet Affairs Minister Meets Indonesian Ambassador

GMT 02:34 2018 Thursday ,04 January

Merger creates state-owned gas giant

GMT 10:08 2017 Tuesday ,07 March

Geneva farce: The regime is the opposition

GMT 10:19 2017 Saturday ,18 November

AJK Prime Minister condemns across LoC shelling
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday