Ports & destinations

BVI benefitting socially via Cruise Pier Project

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 18 February 2015 18 February 2015

A commercial-entertainment village open to the public, offering world-class customer service training, prime retail space for Virgin Islands’ artisans, topped off by a year-round cruise tourism calendar, is what the BVI Cruise Pier Expansion Project proposes to offer the Territory’s social and cultural landscape.

The project, which began last fall, involves the lengthening, widening and strengthening of the pier, and a 4-acre landside development featuring commercial and entertainment spaces.

Regarding social benefits associated with the project, Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority Mr. Claude O. Skelton Cline said he thinks it will foster enhanced pride, stating, "The cruise pier development is being done by the BVI, for the BVI. This is a project that all Virgin Islanders can claim as their own. BVI stands to benefit from a new sense of pride, knowing that we have done something to benefit our children’ children."

Mr. Cline also referenced the global marketing services offered by both Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line (DCL), as provided in the berthing agreements.

"Aside from the obvious benefits from being promoted alongside these major brands in terms of the potential for visitor growth, we also stand to benefit from enhanced reputation by association. Fact is, BVI looks even better having signed these agreements with two of the four major cruise lines. It says to the world that they have faith in this project and destination," said Mr. Cline. "The BVI stands to welcome well over 600,000 cruise passengers for the upcoming season. This presents us with over 600,000 opportunities to present BVI culture through music, crafts, foods and other artefacts and promote them throughout the world," said Mr. Cline.

Referencing the family-focused theme of the park, Dona Regis, CEO of Tortola Pier Park Limited (TPPL), said locals can enjoy spending time with their families and friends in an appropriate environment that offers a great mix of food, retail and entertainment.

As for other benefits offered by the park, the CEO said, "The park will serve as an example to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs who wish to strike a better balance between product and services being offered and customer service excellence."

To that end, Ms. Regis said the BVIPA and TPPL are eager to begin quality customer service training that is to be hosted by the Disney Institute, a service attached to DCL’s berthing agreement.

"For TPPL, customer service excellence is paramount to achieving our brand image, as we are a family-focused entertainment hub that offers quality retail with culinary variety," said Ms. Regis.

Ms. Regis said attention will be given to not only those businesses inside the park, but also those ancillary businesses that are created as a result of the park and the influx of cruise passengers.

Cruise visitors to Singapore fell in 2014

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 12 February 2015 12 February 2015

The latest statistics released by Singapore Tourism Board indicates a significant fall in cruise throughput to the city in 2014. Alan Lam reports.

In a largely unexpected development, the number of cruise ship calls to Singapore fell from 391 in 2013 to 372 in 2014; correspondingly the number of passengers dropped from 1.03 million to just 890,000 in the same period.

The trend was not restricted to the cruise sector, the overall visitors arriving in Singapore contracted by 3.1%, to 15.1 million. This was the first recorded decline since 2009, a worrying development for the cruise business as the fall was sharper in this sector, about 8-9%.

One of the main reasons for this contraction could be the industry’s focus having been decidedly switched to destinations in the north, closer to its main source market, China. Destinations in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam have benefitted most from the cruise boom in China.

However, for 2015, Singapore expects a 10-15% increase in cruise throughput, largely thanks to increased deployment by major cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean International, which is planning a year round deployment in Singapore.

Fifteen calls for Baie-Comeau in 2015

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 20 January 2015 20 January 2015

Fifteen cruise ships will visit Baie-Comeau this season, an increase of 60% compared to 2014. All along the cruise season the port will have the opportunity to welcome close to 5,600 cruise passengers and 2,800 crew members. Five different vessels will dock in Baie-Comeau’s port this year; the Pearl Mist, Seabourn Quest, Silver Whisper, Albatross and Saga Sapphire.

Cruise season will start in June with the arrival of the Pearl Mist who will visit us eight times in 2015. "For the 2nd season in a row, we will welcome cruise passengers during the summer months but the high season will still remain September and October," the port said in a statement.

The port of Baie-Comeau will welcome two new vessels to its docks this season; the Saga Sapphire with a capacity of 600 passengers and the Albatross with a capacity of 1,100 cruise passengers.

The season 2016 is promising as well with a total of eight calls already confirmed on the cruise calendar.

Number of cruise visitors to Japan doubled in 2014

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 05 February 2015 05 February 2015

The number of cruise tourists arriving in Japan in 2014 was over 400,000, that is about twice the number of 2013, according to figures released by the country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Alan Lam reports.

Japanese ports received a total of 1,203 cruise calls in 2104 - a record number - with 654 of them from international cruise liners. While cruise tourism remains sluggish in the domestic market, the current rapid growth has been a part of the wider regional phenomenon, mainly driven by the development in Chinese source market.

To facilitate this momentum, in an unprecedented move, Japan has become the latest in a string of Far Eastern countries to ease short-stay visa requirements for Chinese visitors, who are among the largest groups of foreign tourists to visit the country and with indisputably the biggest spending power.

Last year, 2.4 million tourists from Mainland China visited Japan, an 83% increase on the previous year, largely thanks to increased cruise ship itineraries from Chinese homeports, such as Shanghai and Tianjin.

The Japanese government has set a target of attracting one million cruise tourists per years by 2020.

Cruise business finally gaining traction in India

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 19 January 2015 19 January 2015

Not having kept pace so far with the recent cruise boom in Asia, India’s cruise business has at last shown signs of awakening. Alan Lam reports.

International cruise operators have shunned the shores of India because of various issues relating to bureaucracy and weak infrastructure, leaving the country bereft of cruise business. There now seems to be a greater recognition in the importance this industry for the country. A number of developments have taken place in India in recent months.

At a recent meeting of tourism officials, chaired by the country’s Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma, various issues facing India’s virtually non-existent cruise business were highlighted and the need to develop the industry was acknowledged.

Cruise operators have gradually increased their focus on India’s rivers and seaports. After overcoming a few initial issues, Azamara Club Cruises, for example, has announced offering a 20-night “Pearl along the Indian Ocean” itinerary for April 2017 onboard Azamara Journey. The cruise will set sail from Mumbai, with destinations including KudaBandos Islands, Goa, and Sri Lanka.

In Goa, the tourism department expects to welcome more than 30,000 cruise tourists during the first five months of 2015. It also expects 25 cruise ships to call at the state’s Mormugao port this year. So far this season AIDAsol, SIDAaura, Voyager, Azamara Quest, Seven Sea Voyager, and Nautica have called at the port. A new cruise terminal is currently under construction at Mormugao, due to open at the end of this year.