ONE of international cruise industry's most celebrated experts, Captain Michael Aston, will attend the Arabian Travel Market this month in Dubai.
Captain Aston, who boasts over 50 years of sea-going experience on numerous classes of vessels and trade routes, will be at the show representing the Australian-based Captain Cook Cruises. Now working in the marketing division of the award-winning cruise line company, which specialises in destination cruising around Sydney harbour, the Great Barrier Reef, to Murray River and the Fijian Islands, Captain Aston was previously the company's Senior Master at Sea. Captain Cook Cruises is prioritising the Middle East market, providing Halal food on all its ships to accommodate the customs and cultural requirements of tourists from the region. "Middle Eastern tourists are known to enjoy cruising in other parts of the world," said Captain Aston. "We therefore see the region as an emerging growth market". At ATM, Captain Cook Cruises will be represented on the Lizid Travel stand along with Dreamtime Resorts, Great Adventures Cruises/Green Island Resorts, Harbour Town Shopping Centre and Touraust Hotels. The company is one of six cruise lines and 11 Australian exhibitors taking part in ATM 2001. "Australia will be out in force again this year, with the Australian Tourism Commission launching a national pavilion with nine participating companies," said Matt Thompson, group exhibitions director, overseas, Reed Travel Exhibitions, organisers of ATM.