As the sun came up over the Bay of Bengal, all I could see before me was the undulating waves rising above the horizon. I could have been anywhere in the world. However, when I reached my next port in the Andaman Islands, the fast-paced, frenzied nature of an Indian city would serve as a reminder of my exotic locale. Such is the charm, for me at least, when cruising in Asia. A hectic, unfamiliar environment can be exchanged for the quiet calm of a cruise ship. It is like experiencing two worlds at once.
?You can experience a destination as remote as Myanmar with all of the conveniences of normal life onboard,? said John Delaney, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Seabourn Cruise Line. ?I think that is one reason why more luxury travelers are choosing to experience Asian destinations on a cruise.?
Cruising in the region has been emerging for quite some time and, now, interest is increasing as destinations become more accessible to ships.
?It would not be an exaggeration to say that the cruise market in Asia is at the top of our list of emerging markets. A major trend of the cruise industry in recent years has been the globalization of destinations and itineraries as cruise lines strive to open new geographic markets and to provide new experiences for first-time cruisers as well as loyal customers,? said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). ?Asia itineraries and embarkations in the region are most definitely growing in popularity ? for vacationers from around the world as well as from those in Asia.?
Duffy said that she is seeing CLIA member lines deploying more ships to the region, adding new ports and customizing onboard products to meet the needs of Asia cruise guests, as well as North American guests flying overseas to explore the region on a cruise vacation.
Duffy also noted that there are five key elements to developing a cruise economy and boosting tourism: market size, trade distribution structure, itineraries, infrastructure and collaboration with government and private enterprise. Currently, representatives from large cruise centers such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea are working to develop these elements.
?All the cruise destinations in Asia should work together,? said Anthony Lau, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board. ?If we work together, we can provide products that the consumer needs and likes so that they will come back again. We currently work very closely with destinations in China, Taiwan, Macau, Thailand and Singapore, and I believe that this spirit of working together should continue.?
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Source: Janeen Christoff (2013). Targeting the Asia Cruise Market, TravelAge West http://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Asia/Info/Targeting-the-Asia-Cruise-Market/ published Apr 26, 2013. Viewed Apr 30, 2013,