| CLIA Cruise News & Views 2 Feb 17: ASEAN Tourism Forum

By Joel Katz MD, CLIA, Australasia.
CLIA was recently invited
to participate in the ASEAN
Tourism Forum Cruise Dialogue in
Singapore, hosted by Singapore’s
Minister for Trade and Industry, and
attended by Tourism Ministers from
all the ASEAN countries. From the
opening address by Singapore’s
Prime Minister, the focus was on
the growth of cruise in the region
and the opportunities cruise brings.
Passenger capacity on ocean
cruise ships in Asia increased
significantly in 2016. The myriad of
desirable destinations within Asia
is a key contributing factor to the
growth of Asian cruise travel.
Last year, visitors experienced
more than 200 destinations across
17 countries, making travelling
by cruise ship the easiest way to
experience multiple destinations
throughout Asia.
ASEAN member states continue
to boost cruise tourism which,
in turn, supports continued
cruise travel growth. Countries
such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, and Thailand have
recently announced investments
in cruise infrastructure and
destination development.
Cruise lines continue to invest
in bringing some of the most
exciting and advanced ships to
the area – giving pax the ultimate
cruise experience, and many of
our CLIA cruise line members are
demonstrating their commitment
to the Asian region.
Cruise line brands active in Asia
serve every segment of the market,
including river – so there is no
excuse to not be including cruise as
part of all your Asia conversations
with clients!