CRUISE CRUISE TOURISM IN TOURISM IN

THE AMERICASTHE AMERICAS BENOIT BENOIT

BARDOUILLEBARDOUILLE

The Caribbean represents The Caribbean represents roughly 46% of the Cruise roughly 46% of the Cruise Market and that is a Market and that is a significant share of the significant share of the global market. All the major global market. All the major cruise lines operate within cruise lines operate within the wider Caribbean the wider Caribbean Region.Region.

Increasingly larger vessels are being Increasingly larger vessels are being built and deployed to service our built and deployed to service our destinationsdestinations

An enormous responsibility is placed An enormous responsibility is placed in the management of the various in the management of the various Ports with scarce resources to Ports with scarce resources to expand/refurbish their existing expand/refurbish their existing facilities at the expense of facilities at the expense of improving Cargo facilities to improving Cargo facilities to accommodate mega ships. accommodate mega ships.

There is the need to be There is the need to be proactive in this growing proactive in this growing cruise market within our cruise market within our regions by exploring more regions by exploring more skilful ways of conducting skilful ways of conducting business with the cruise finesbusiness with the cruise fines ::

1.1. Securing more long-term Securing more long-term contracts with the cruise contracts with the cruise lines, so the facilities being lines, so the facilities being developed or built become developed or built become more viable or “bankable” more viable or “bankable” projects.projects.

2.2. Develop among our regions Develop among our regions itineraries that would determine itineraries that would determine what Ports of call these ships what Ports of call these ships would serve, be it in the Western would serve, be it in the Western Caribbean, South Eastern Caribbean, South Eastern Caribbean or South American Caribbean or South American regions, as opposed to letting the regions, as opposed to letting the Cruise lines tell us what ports they Cruise lines tell us what ports they think they can fit in their think they can fit in their itinerariesitineraries

3.3. The need to create a wider The need to create a wider Caribbean Village Concept by Caribbean Village Concept by including many more of the including many more of the Americas into our programs or Americas into our programs or outreach to the cruise lines. outreach to the cruise lines. Some of the cruisers and Some of the cruisers and vacationers are potential vacationers are potential customers and are constantly customers and are constantly looking for new places to visit.looking for new places to visit.

4.4. In the area of Port Security In the area of Port Security many of the ports have spent many of the ports have spent large sums of money to large sums of money to ensure that they were ISPS ensure that they were ISPS compliant for July, 2004, and compliant for July, 2004, and especially in those Ports especially in those Ports where cruise passengers visit where cruise passengers visit because of the increase risk. because of the increase risk.

5.5. There is need for an There is need for an effective cruise conversion effective cruise conversion programme so that a better programme so that a better partnership can be partnership can be established between the established between the Hotel or land vessel Hotel or land vessel operators and the cruise operators and the cruise operators.operators.

6.6. Within the region we need to Within the region we need to look at the sourcing aspect or look at the sourcing aspect or supplying products and supplying products and services to cruise ships and the services to cruise ships and the need to develop a framework to need to develop a framework to become an active participant in become an active participant in providing the required providing the required resources on board ships.resources on board ships.

7.7. Another area to which much Another area to which much attention is not given is that of attention is not given is that of employment on-board ships, employment on-board ships, especially in the hospitality especially in the hospitality sector. If more employment is sector. If more employment is provided on-board theses cruise provided on-board theses cruise ships by people from the region, ships by people from the region, the experience gained could the experience gained could benefit some of the land base benefit some of the land base facilities, given the knowledge facilities, given the knowledge and skills acquired on board and skills acquired on board these ships.these ships.

THANK YOUTHANK YOU