GROWTH in the Middle East’s fledgling cruise industry, which is expected to generate revenues of $100 million this year, is dependent on increased levels of regional participation, according to Costa Cruises, the first cruise operator to establish a base in the Arabian Gulf.
Currently, the majority of tourists taking part in Middle East cruises come from traditional western markets, and represent the ‘fly and cruise’ demographic.
However, with the Middle East having one of the largest disposable income per capita figures globally, Dario Rustico, Costa Cruises’ director, sales and marketing of Pacific Asia Operations, believes that key to taking an increased share of 2009’s predicted $24.9 billion global cruise market is by tourism bodes and travel companies promoting cruise holidays to intra-regional travellers.
“The main aspect of managing cruise operations out of Dubai is that the local market still has very low awareness about a cruise holiday and cannot generate the numbers needed to support, and significantly contribute towards, the success these programmes,” said Rustico, who will be one of more than 25 speakers at the ATM’s 16 session seminar programme.
“This means the greatest majority of passengers fly to Dubai from Europe, Asia and the Americas, pressuring us to generate an entire ‘fly and cruise’ programme.”
