Finally, Asia’s Cruise Association docks

SHANGHAI – The long-awaited Asia Cruise Association (ACA) was ratified by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Costa Crociere spa, MSC, Silversea Cruises and Star Cruises during the inaugural Seatrade All Asia Cruise Convention.

Facilitated by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the association has been more than 10 years in the making.

Steve Odell, Silversea’s VP Asia Pacific, emphasised that while there are existing cruise association models in North America, Europe and Australia, what made the ACA different was its sheer scope.

“We are also involving a lot of other parties, too, other than the lines themselves.These will include the travel agent community, the agents, suppliers and virtually every sub-sector that contributes to the whole industry.”

Michael Goh, SVP (Sales) of Star Cruises, described ACA as a “central knowledge hub”.

Seatrade’s managing director Christopher Hayman said, “Asia is on the threshold of major cruise expansion. These are exciting times and there are many more to come.”

At the convention’s keynote session more than 300 international and local delegates weighed the potential of Asia to become what chairman Lu Haihu of Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) called, “The next engine of the world cruise industry.”

MSC Cruises’ CEO, Pierfrancesco Vago, set the tone by describing Asia as “the last untouched frontier in cruising”. He stressed: “MSC wants to be here.”

Michael Bayley, SVP of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, focusing on the Chinese market, said, “We are already expanding our Shanghai operation and also opening offices in Beijing and Guangzhou within the next four years.”

He expressed hope that the authorities and the lines can keep working together to create “a seamless cruise experience.”

SIPG’s Lu accepted that “the cruise market here is still in the developing stages. Since Asia is totally different, there are lots of issues we have to handle differently”.

He joined cruise operators in encouraging the liberalisation of cabotage laws which meant the next stop for a ship leaving a Chinese terminal must be another country.

Senior Chinese government representatives attending the convention said the matter has been taken up directly with the Ministry of Communication.