Royal Caribbean International has signed a multi-million dollar marketing collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) to promote cruising out of Singapore to an overseas fly-cruise audience.
The three-party collaboration – which runs between 2015 and 2018 – is estimated to deliver over 170,000 overseas visitors to Singapore to sail on Royal Caribbean’s cruises over that period, resulting in a projected growth of over 50 per cent.
The collaboration will see a series of marketing campaigns, research studies and channel development activities, such as partnerships with trade, in markets such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, as well as Australia, Europe and North America.
Royal Caribbean also plans to increase its number of sailings from Singapore during this period to over 40 a year.
Currently, the cruise line’s 3,807-guest Mariner of the Seas makes around 30 voyages annually. Her next Singapore season, which will be the largest ever starting from this October, will feature more long cruises of seven to 15 nights, aimed at attracting more overseas fly-cruise guests.
“Having deployed ships here regularly for the last seven years, Royal Caribbean now looks forward to its next phase of significant growth in Singapore. ” said Sean Treacy, Managing Director, Singapore and Southeast Asia of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
“Our three-year deployment plan is our strongest commitment ever to this market and we see great potential in Singapore as a source market and regional cruise hub.
“We highly appreciate this collaboration which will be a tremendous support for our business goals in Singapore and Southeast Asia, as well as the strong efforts of the Singapore Government for being so proactive in driving the cruise business in the country.”
Ms Neeta Lachmandas, Assistant Chief Executive (Business Development Group), Singapore Tourism Board said: “The tripartite collaboration is a significant development not just for Singapore but also for Southeast Asia.
“We hope Royal Caribbean’s commitment will inspire new cruise itineraries around the region to offer more reasons for travellers to take to cruising, and also motivate our neighbouring ports and destinations to invest and realise fully the tremendous potential of the Asian cruise industry.”
Alan Hoffery, salesmanager Nordic and Baltic region Singapore Airlines:
“It is a fantastic development, we experience in the cruise market in Singapore. It is quite clear that this, the first of a long series of measures CAG is involved in.
Changi Airport Group has an extensive experience in providing the best possible service at the airport and now transferred to the cruise terminal in Singapore.
It’s not new to cruise out of Singapore but with this new “state of the art” terminal means that more and more ships to Singapore and thus a far greater range of posibilities”.
The development will put further focus on Singapore as a gateway.
The cruises are offered are far greater extent than anywhere else a mixture of unique experiences and opportunities to get to areas that tourist value is on everyone’s lips but certainly in the near future will be the “must see and visit” places.
CAG, that operates the new terminal, has already seen the infrastructure and offered naturally check in at the cruise terminal.
“We have many very capable cruise agencies in Scandinavia but we know that the companies have had major challenges to the traditional sales channels to include the new destinations in Asia.
We have in recent years seen a strong increase in cruise traffic from Singapore but wonder simultaneously over the defective from some of the major Scandinavian cruise agents.
The city of Singapore offers a wide range of options to offer the Scandinavian guests experiences in the world and with the many new initiatives, we are also sure that the shipping companies want to draw attention to the wide range of exotic destinations from the world`s most surprising tropical island Singapore offered year-round.
