Conference Topics
| Thursday 23 October AM |
Session One
Cruising in Asia: the next big thing
The cruise industry is at the threshold of a massive engagement with Asia. Both major global brands and strong regional players are committing more and more capacity to the region, from China, South East Asia, and Australasia to India and the Middle East Gulf. Some of Asia’s leading marquis destinations are committing to big terminal investment projects. So how do the cruise industry’s leading players view the prospects for Asia, both as a destination and as a source market for new passengers? How quickly will cruise establish itself as a significant element in the Asian travel and tourism mix? This session will also address the outlook for river cruising on the Yangtze.
| Thursday 23 October PM |
Session Two Asia’s offer to the cruise lines is a cruising ground of extraordinary diversity, which meets the industry’s critical need for more winter season deployment options. What then is the likely pattern or itinerary development across the region? Major terminal development is now in place or in prospect. What kind of infrastructure are the lines looking for and in what places and on what time scale? How can a cruise terminal take its place in a contemporary waterfront development on prime real estate and generate an adequate return on investment? The critical importance of airlift in the development of cruising in Asia. |
| Friday 24 October AM |
Session Three
The Asian source market
The wider Asian region is not just one source market for cruise passengers but many, each with different characteristics and levels of maturity. Whilst Japan and Australia are established markets, the growing affluence in China and India, and the travel aspirations of the ASEAN countries suggest a massive growth potential. So what are Asia’s new generation of cruisers looking for in terms of product, itinerary, and cruise length? Is the Asian consumer sold on the idea of ‘unbundled’ pricing? What is the preferred distribution for cruise products in Asia, and what can be done to stimulate the travel agent distribution network? What should Asian destinations do to develop the diversity of shorex products?
| Friday 24 October PM |
Session Four As cruising raises its profile in Asia, what is the potential for the Asian countries in terms of shipbuilding, conversion and repair? Efficient cruise operations depend on efficient supply chains. What will be the opportunities for supplying cruise vessels in the region, in terms of food and beverage and hotel supplies, spare parts, bunkering and lubes? What is Asia’s role as a supplier of high quality crew for the cruise industry worldwide now and in the future? |
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