South America cruise industry “must work together and rein in costs”
South America's cruise industry has been growing fast and holds vast potential, but the region must work together to tackle issues, create demand and rein in costs, said speakers at the Seatrade South America Cruise Convention in Buenos Aires.
“South America represents a fantastic destination and itinerary prospect. It has many established itineraries but a great deal more can be done,” said Seatrade chairman Chris Hayman in welcoming delegates to the convention at the Terminal de Cruceros Quinquela Martin Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hayman added that the continent also holds great potential as a source of passengers, a market that is already being tapped but can grow much further.
Leaders from lines including MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Costa Cruceros and Iberocruceros joined officials from Argentina’s Port of Buenos Aires and Inprotur, Chile’s Transport and Tourism Ministries, Uruguay’s Ministry of Tourism, Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism, Proexport Colombia and Brazil’s EMBRATUR and ABREMAR, among other industry stakeholders, to discuss opportunities and challenges.
“The potential for cruising in this region is enormous” said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. He cited South America’s ‘fantastic history and culture, and amazing places to see, many of them along the coast.’ Plus, thanks to the strong economies in the region, South America is an appealing source market for cruisers.
But Goldstein pointed to competition from other regions and urged countries to ‘work together to create the best possible business conditions for the industry to grow,’ and said: “We need better infrastructure in the region and a lower cost environment,” a sentiment echoed by other cruise line speakers.
Noting how Buenos Aires -which sports a new cruise terminal, built in 2010- has grown rapidly in the cruise sector in a very short period, MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago expressed his hope that the Argentine government and regulators take notice of the industry’s strong economic impact, with passenger spending averaging 900 Pesos (195 dollars).
Capt. Sergio Borrelli, president of the Port Authority of Buenos Aires, said that bringing together regional cruise stakeholders in an association “will be crucial for the industry.”
“Brazil needs other countries to make an appealing itinerary,” agreed Ricardo Amaral, president of the Brazilian Cruise Association (ABREMAR). Noting that Brazil’s cruise business has an economic impact of 1.3bn Reais (814 million dollars) and creates 22,000 direct and indirect jobs, Amaral called on countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Colombia to conduct their own research to show governments, the media and the public what the cruise industry means for their economies.
Leonard Boto Alvarez, executive director of Inprotur, noted his country is now South America’s leading international tourist destination, and said cruising holds much promise. He cited the possibility for river cruise tourism, and the further development of Antarctica cruises from Ushuaia.
At the conference, Seatrade's Chris Hayman presented Chile’s Undersecretary of Tourism Jacqueline Plass Wähling with the first Seatrade South America Award to acknowledge her activity in fostering cruising.
Seatrade South America took place at the Quinquela Martin Cruise Terminal in Buenos Aires with conference sessions, an exhibition and a travel agent day. More than 200 agents registered for training.
Seatrade South America Cruise Convention returns in 2013, May 15-16 in Chile. (Travel Daily News).
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:)
Is 'costs' a euphemism for 25% inflation? Inflation is a euphemism for self-preservation of the gov, at the expense of the people, by printing free money.
Anyways, the natural coastline seen from the ocean must be amazing.
You are so predictable - do you trolls take turns setting the Peronist positions?
BTW Peronist position is “doggy-style”, just ask Sussie !
LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!
BA is a great place for tourists!
It really is. The Peso is so low that everything is a bargain for tourists from the “Free World”
LOL LOL LOL
CFK will fall, but not before she takes YOUR pensions and millions of US $$$.
You wil be sitting in the ruins of a shattered Argentina and a ruined economy.
Meanwhile, keep up your “pirates” nonsense.
LOL LOL LOL
Check out this video on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0fywBbhvxo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
As for the Free world, Argentina does not want to be part of it. It has nothing good to offer.
So Argentina wants nothing to do with the free world. You will happily do without advances in medicine, transport, science etc etc.
It must be an Earthly paradise to forego all this. However, it's your choice - not I would venture the whole of the Argentinian population.
BTW he doesn't really care if people are dying because their medications are not imported. I wonder if he cares about clean teeth...you can't get dental supplies either hmmm
I read an interview last weekend from a couple of years ago... A hospital in the USA (Chicago) did a pilot program where it introduced sweeping changes to workplace conditions, food, wages, and benefits, all designed to encourage people to be healthier.
They actually succeeded, people became much healthier in an 18 month trial.
One problem: it made the hospital LOSE money because it lost lucrative beneficial contracts with private health insurance companies, which in turn were in bed with the top pharmaceuticals. They lost these because the government stopped subsidizing the both the insurance and pharmas, which in turn ceased making the hospital a preferential “client”.
So, the program was quietly ended, and employees once again became more ill, and more dependent on medicine. The hospital regained the subsidies, it could increase its “client base” (!), and thus get once again benefits from the private insurers and pharmas. The hospital increased net revenue and real profits.
So the hospital administrators and staff won, the private insurance cos. won, the pharmaceuticals won, the government won (the woman that lobbied for more subdidies won election)...
And they all did it at the expense of the lives of thousands of people they are purposefully killing.
Free society my arse. You people are a joke of a society.
Brilliant u-tube sketch, and I don`t speak Spanish !
If I didn't know better I would think the world was run by 13 families
hahahha
Don't worry, je ne t'en veux pas.
Tu me fais pitié.... Ich bedauere dich einfach.
“As for the Free world, Argentina does not want to be part of it. It has nothing good to offer.”
Another xenophobic stupid statement.
Back on topic,
With the next SeaTrade convention to be held in Chile in 2013, it looks like Chile is taking the lead in South America.
Chile won the SeaTrade award in 2012 - looks like they are being recognised for doing things right.
The Falklands will only expand their facilities for Cruise ships when they improve their docks and infrastructure for the lucrative oil industry.
And tourists will not face the currency exchange gouging like that of BA.
Viva Falklands !!
“Free” seems to have many meanings in Socialist countries....
BTW did CFK ever pay the 60MM she owes the dialysis clinics or have they given up with those all together?
why the stupid brits place all the blame on Sussie?
..... Because the brits are rubbish bloody english people!.......
Prince Harry is planning to move to America around the year 2014,
to Buenos Aires to play polo and Las Vegas to enjoy wild parties.
He likes America!
Good Boy!
He may like America but what makes you think he likes Argentina - (which is in South America, a different continent).
I suppose he told you this personally ? Do you have a twitter account that he follows ?
#1
It may be, but think of the advantages, you don't have to deal with any Argentinians.
YOU WROTE:
“@ 35
Sussie is my friend and no longer responding to the UK team comments.
The are more interesting things to do. She instructed Mercopress to block all comments.
Good Bye!”
WE REPLIED:
“and... THE BRITS WIN, AGAIN !!! WELL DONE, BRITS!!!!
LOL LOL LOL !!”
I presume you mean the Argentinian government.
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