Asia Cruise Cooperation aspires to expand further in 2018

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 07, 2018 -- Asia Cruise Cooperation (ACC) is growing from strength to strength, with Korea recently joining the alliance. It now spans 20 ports in six destinations – Hainan, Hong Kong, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Xiamen – all of whom have joined forces with a strong commitment to maximize the growth of cruise tourism in Asia.

(From left to right) Representatives of ACC member ports, He Junlin, Deputy Director, Tourism Planning, Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission; Anthony Lau, Executive Director, Hong Kong Tourism Board; Yoon Hyun-soo, Director, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea; Martin Valera, Regional Director, the Philippine Department of Tourism; and Joseph Cheng, Senior Executive Officer of International Affairs Division, Taiwan Tourism Bureau, at Seatrade Cruise Global 2018.

Founded by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in 2014, ACC provides a one-stop platform to support cruise lines’ strategies in Asia. Key areas of its work include facilitating itinerary development, sharing industry and market insights, enhancing cruise lines’ marketing efforts with funding support, and creating consumer demand for cruising.

At Seatrade Cruise Global 2018, the leading annual global business-to-business event in the cruise industry, ACC held a dedicated cocktail reception to update the trade on the alliance’s developments. In addition to encouraging cruise lines to include ACC member ports in their itineraries, the alliance will step up collaboration by proactively reaching out to consumers in key source markets.

Some of these initiatives include joint promotions to attract consumers to choose cruise products featuring ACC member ports and a partnership with a regional television network to raise consumer awareness of the appeal of partnering destinations and the attractiveness of cruise vacations.

Mr. He Junlin, Deputy Director for Tourism Planning of the Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission, said, “ACC has continually combined the cruise resources of its member ports to promote intra-regional exchanges and cooperation, following the international cruise industry’s excellent development concept. This helps all ACC members speed up the upgrading of their own cruise tourism industry, and also greatly raises Hainan’s tourism visibility around the world.”

Mr. Anthony Lau, Executive Director of the HKTB, said, “I’m delighted to see that there has been a boost in synergy in Asia’s cruise development, as more destinations join the alliance. ACC has given all member ports the reach, resources and ambition to attract more cruise ships from around the world, and pooling the unique charm and competitive edge of each destination significantly enhances the draw of Asia as a cruise destination. The HKTB will continue to work with all ACC partners to recruit more member ports to further expand the scale and scope of this successful regional collaboration. By working closely together, we are navigating exciting new horizons as a new world of cruise tourism opens up in Asia.”

Mr. Yoon Hyun-soo, Director of Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, “Korea joined ACC last October, and we are confident that ACC will drive dramatic growth in cruise tourism in Asia through cooperation among destinations. Last month, all eyes were on Korea for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Now Korea is about to take another step to reach out to international travellers, but this time the focus is cruise vacations. Korea is an attractive country, with highly advanced cities juxtaposed with longstanding traditions, not to mention the beautiful natural environment. At present, coastal cities in Korea are attracting more than a million cruise passengers a year.”

Mr. Benito C. Bengzon, Jr., Undersecretary for Tourism Development of the Philippine Department of Tourism, said, “ACC continues to be a driver of growth in the Asian cruise industry. In this year’s Seatrade Cruise Global, ACC will showcase the alliance’s latest initiatives, among which is a research project that will support cruise lines in fully developing sustainable, cruise-related business opportunities in the region. The Philippine Department of Tourism, together with the rest of the ACC members, re-affirms our commitment to be at the forefront of this growing industry and to continually stir the wheel towards making Asia as the next important cruising region.”

Dr. Chou Yung-hui, Director-General of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB), said, “ACC has brought significant growth in the number of ship calls and cruise tourists in Taiwan. After three years’ effort, ACC members finally collaborated with Star Cruises last year to develop a whole new cruise route, which includes ports in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. A total of 15 sailings on this new route have brought more than 20,000 international cruise tourists to southern Taiwan. It is no exaggeration to say that ACC will create a better cruise market environment in Asia and heighten the interest of international cruise companies in our regional market.”

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a43b5be-45c7-4ae2-831e-983c8f03fd06