5 NOVEMBER 2018

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Article from BTNews 5 NOVEMBER 2018

NOVEMBER CRUISE ISSUE

Three topics for this month, two of them concerning events bringing cruise people together for like-minded business, and the other a reminder of just how the concept of holidays by sea has grown to become a major part of the tourist industry. 

Cruise professional gathering

With a record number of more than 110 ships on order, the international cruise industry, will gather in Madrid 27/28 November for the International Cruise Summit (ICS). 
 
Competitors, but also friends, the top executives from cruise companies and other stakeholders will gather at the annual event, organized by Cruises News Media Group. 

ICS will present a newly and attractively renovated programme to reinforce its international commitment with the cruise industry community.

This year's programme will provide a platform to discuss the future, topics and issues in the cruising industry.

The cruise industry contributed a record €47.86bn of total output to the European economy in 2017, according to new figures released by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in its updated European Economic Contribution Report. In Spain, the industry generated to the Spanish economy more than €4.25bn of total output, and €1.48bn of total economic impact, which is the sum of the direct, indirect and induced impacts.  Cruise lines will have a record number of cruise ships on order over the next ten years having 24 new ships for 2019, and, as noted, more than 110 new ships entering service by 2027.
 
The two-day-long event will highlight senior cruise company management, industry experts, travel agents, supply chain members, tourist destinations and port authorities. Madrid itself takes centre stage at the opening with a keynote addresses from Ornella Chacón, president of the Spanish Port Authority; Héctor José Gómez Hernández, managing director of Spain´s Tourist Office Turespaña; Marta Blanco, managing director, Madrid Tourist Government, as well as Madrid City Council´s representatives who will address to the audience to officially inaugurate the event for all delegates and attendees.

The opening will be followed by our most-anticipated guest of honour talk with one of the pioneers of the ultra-luxury cruise tourism, Manfredi Lefebvre D´Ovidio, executive chairman of Silversea Cruises, now part of Royal Caribbean Group,

From Europe’s largest cruise market, the United Kingdom, David Dingle, Carnival UK and CLIA Europe´s Chairman, will address the gathering.

The programme provides a platform programme that includes 12+ panels scheduled over the two-days including “Smooth sailing or making waves in the industry: the real challenges”, “Cruise lines growth and ports can cope with high quality service”, “Passenger management experience”, “Sustainable practices in the cruise industry”, “Mediterranean migrating processes on the ground”, “ Case study: Virtual reality in cruise ships sales strategy”, “ Passenger experience: Perception vs reality”, “Themed cruises, its future and destinations involvement” or “Cruise industry luxury cruising”, among others.

More than 350 delegates from around the world will gather at this event at the Melia Castilla Hotel in the heart of the Spanish capital.

Speakers are expected to include Douglas Prothero CEO, of the The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection; Celestyal Cruises will be represented by its CEO, Chris Theophilides; Pullmantur, its CEO, Richard Vogel and Mystic Invest with CEO, Mario Ferreira.

Also present are expected to be senior management from MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Costa, Silversea, Norwegian Cruise Lines, TUI Cruises, Saga Cruises, Fred Olsen, Seadream and Norwegian Yacht.

ICS will showcase CSR (a record of a ship’s history) and a panel will highlight the NGO SOS Méditerranée to explaining its humanitarian work at sea in the Mediterranean.

In its efforts to promote innovation and new technologies in the cruise industry, ICS will feature Massimo Collauti, CEO of Simcovr with it ts virtual reality application to commercially sell the new Costa Cruises ship, Costa Smeralda. 

What should be a highlight of this year´s programme is a symposium titled “Acting techniques for business” showcasing sense memory for public speaking abilities. This session will be led by internationally recognized French actor and producer, Stany Coppet, and it will be one of the most attractive sessions for delegates.  

Spain is the second most popular European cruise tourist destination in Europe.  During 2017, 6.7m cruise passengers visited the Spanish coastlines and ports, which generated to the Spanish economy more than €4.25bn of total output, and €1.48bn of total economic impact, and more than 30,000 jobs according to official figures. Barcelona leads European ports with 2.72m cruisers in 2017, 2% more than the previous year. Also noteworthy are the Balearic Islands ports, with 2.1m cruisers, and Las Palmas, with 1.23m cruisers that enjoy the Canary Islands.

www.internationalcruisesummit.com 


Cruise enthusiast get together 

In a marked contrast to Madrid next Saturday (10 November) will see another group of cruise aficionados gathering, but this time for a ship enthusiast assembly.  Hosted by the Ocean Liner Society, the annual Ship Show takes place once again at Southampton’s Masonic Hall, Albion Place SO14 2DD.

Expect to find an established format of model ship dealers, booksellers, maritime ephemera and artists.  There will be a presentation by naval architect Stephen Payne on the pre-war Orion (a youthful Malcolm Ginsberg was a passenger in 1950, a returning ‘ten pound Pom’) and Orcades and their influence on later ships, and  the design and careers of the last four Orient Line liners, Orcades, Oronsay, Orsova and Oriana. 

Orient Lines became 100% P&O owned in 1966 and the name dropped but was resurrected in 1993 Gerry Herrod buying the brand which then operated with Marco Polo as the lead ship (and Crown Odyssey), now part of CMV.  Herrod today owns Vogages of Antiquity, operator of Aegean Odyssey.

The Ocean Liner Society publishes a quarterly magazine, Sea Lines, and also organises a monthly gathering lecture, usually at a venue very close by Farrington Station.  It also hosts a series of cruises, fraternal activities which later this year include Fred Olsen’s Balmoral, 13 December, from Southampton for eight nights, including Christmas Markets in Bremen, Copenhagen and Hamburg, and two transits of Kiel Canal. 'Farewell to Oriana' cruise, on 28 June 2019, for seven nights, visits La Rochelle, Santander, El Ferrol, and St Peter Port. This time next year it is Amera (formerly Prinsendam), from Monaco, visiting Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina, Brindisi, Dubrovnik and Venice with a daylight arrival.

www.ocean-liner-society.com


The financial side of cruising

Following up on its review of 2017 Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) UK has published findings from a report conducted by the Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) which affirms that the cruise industry generated €10.4bn to the UK economy in 2017, representing around 22% of the cruise industry’s ‘total output’ across Europe.

The report looked at tourism and employment figures during 2017.

From the overall figure, €3.85bn was spent in direct expenditures, an 18% increase from two years prior and close to a €1.5bn increase from 2009. The remaining €6.55bn was indirect and induced expenditure.

Direct expenditures were principally distributed across cruise line purchases (€2,481m), passenger and crew spending (€559m), compensation of cruise line employees (€675m) and ship repairs (€135m).

Andy Harmer, CLIA UK & Ireland director, said: “The figures bear testament to the cruise industry continuing to make significant contributions to the UK’s economy and the multi-billion valuation shows that cruise is a major player within the travel sector.

“More Brits are choosing a cruise holiday, more cruise passengers are embarking on a cruise from UK ports and the number of ports-of-call visitors continues to increase. This, along with more jobs being created through the cruise industry, translates into great economic benefits for the country.”

A total of 1,094,000 cruise passengers embarked on a cruise from UK ports in 2017.  More than 80% of departures were from Southampton.

When it comes to ports of call the visitor statistics show that Scotland is an easy winner.

134k            Invergordon
114k            Kirkwall (Orkneys)
  90k            Edinburgh
  48k            Dover
  44k            Liverpool
  50k            Lerwick (Shetlands)

These port-of-call visits generated an additional €113m in direct expenditures such as tours and souvenirs. Passengers spent an average of €80 while in port and €180 at their port-of-embarkation.

Harmer added: “The success of the global cruise industry is set to continue with 24 new ships scheduled to launch in 2019 and 107 new ships on order for delivery before 2027, worth close to $60bn. As the cruise industry’s confidence in the UK increases, so does the number of ships built for the UK market.

“P&O Cruises’ Iona, the largest ever cruise ship built for the British market with capacity of over 5,200 passengers, will launch in 2020. And Cunard revealed last year that it is building what will be the largest cruise ship in its history, with the 3,000-passenger cruise liner joining the iconic fleet in 2022”.

www.cruiseexperts.org

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