The Caribbean Of The East
The seas of South East Asia are becoming increasingly busy with cruise ship traffic and have led observers to predict the region has the potential to be the “Caribbean of the East.”
Attendees at the recent ASEAN Tourism Forum concurred with that outlook, as announcements by cruise ship companies on their plans to sail in the region continued to accumulate.
Press Today’s Ted Davis was at this year’s ATF which was held last week in Singapore, at the Marina Bay Sands convention centre.
For instance, the Norwegian Star has just started its deployment from Hong Kong on an itinerary that will take it to Vietnam, Singapore, Bali and some northern Australia ports, before reaching its final destination of Sydney.
“ASEAN is home to a large and growing middle class with rising household and disposable incomes,” said Steve Odell, senior VP Asia Pacific for Norwegian Cruise Lines. “With growing purchasing power comes greater demands for travel and cruising.”
The growth of cruise tourism has been cited as a key element in the future of the ASEAN tourism sector, according to a presentation by Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong to kick off the ATF.
He participated in the opening of the conference and trade show as ASEAN marked its 50th anniversary with the Visit ASEAN@50 marketing campaign.
“ASEAN is well placed to promote cruise tourism,” said the PM. “We have an archipelago in ASEAN to rival the Aegean, the Caribbean or the South Pacific. And we have year-long tropical weather, calm seas and diverse and attracive destinations.”
Further confirming this trend was the recent christening of the Seabourn Encore in Singapore. The new ultra luxury ship has a capacity for 600 guests. It was christened by singing star Sarah Brightman on Jan. 7.
During the ATF, a special presentation on the potential of operating cruises between Japan and ASEAN was presented. Various itineraries were suggested, ranging in length from a week to over two weeks.
Proposals for a Japan-ASEAN cruise connection have been sparked by the success of Japanese home port cruises that are now in operation and that circle the island nation.
Princess started operating Japan home port cruises in 2013 with the Sun Princess.
The 2018 edition of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) and Travex trade mart will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This will be the sixth ATF hosted by Thailand, but the first to be held in Chiang Mai.
The photo shows the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore which is the host location of the 2017 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF).
