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Costa Cruises continues to set new industry benchmarks for the Chinese cruise industry as from January 2010 Costa Cruises will be the first international cruise company, operating in China, to introduce regular Taiwan cruise itineraries for mainland tour groups.
Offering a total of 15 cruises throughout the year and departing from Hong Kong, holidaymakers will travel onboard the Costa Classica to some of Taiwan’s most appealing cities, including Taipei, Keelung and Taichung.
Encouraged by the positive trend of its Chinese cruises and its full confidence and long-term contribution to the Chinese cruise market, Costa Cruises will launch its regular Taiwan itinerary on 31 January 2010. This milestone development for the Chinese cruise industry follows shortly after Costa Cruises became the first industry leader to operate two ships in China simultaneously, further driving the rapid development of China’s modern cruise industry.
Following the success of the product marketed in China for four years, Costa Cruises has strengthened its presence in China. In July and August, Costa Classica and Costa Allegra are offering a Japan-Korea route at the same time, home-ported in Shanghai and Tianjin, respectively.
The introduction of regular Taiwanese cruise itineraries provides a natural extension to the Italian cruise company’s product portfolio. From April to May this year, Costa Cruises has facilitated three direct cross-straits voyages for more than 3,500 top sales representatives from Amway, in Mainland China, to visit Taiwan. Providing every passenger with an unforgettable, passionate and romantic Italian-style cruise holiday, the cross-straits charter cruise has allowed Costa Cruises to gain valuable and sufficient insights and experience into the operations of a Taiwanese cruise holiday and insight into the needs of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan.
“Two months after the successful completion of Amway chartered cruises to Taiwan, I am extremely delighted to open another brilliant chapter of Costa Cruises’ splendid history in China, with the introduction of the first regular Taiwanese cruise itineraries for Mainland tour groups,” said Massimo Brancaleoni, Vice President of Costa Crociere Pacific Asia Operations. “With the broadening of the cross-straits travel policy, Taiwan will be the next enchanting holiday hot-spot for Chinese tourists. Our regular cruise itineraries to Taiwan will allow our strong customer-base in Asia and mainland China the unique opportunity to enjoy a truly wonderful and memorable Italian-style journey on the sea, while discovering the splendors of Taiwan’s rich natural landscape, gastronomical delights and shopping opportunities. We will stand firmly on our commitment to providing Chinese tourists with even more new cruise products and services in the future. The introduction of new regular Taiwanese cruise itineraries clearly exemplifies our confidence in China and our ambitions to continue to dominate in this exciting and dynamic market.”
“We are delighted that Costa Cruises is introducing regular itineraries between Hong Kong and Taiwan, taking full advantage of the new measure for Mainland tour groups to take cruise vessels home-porting in Hong Kong to Taiwan.” said Margaret Fong, Hong Kong Commissioner for Tourism. “These cruise itineraries will enrich the travel experience of Mainland visitors on multi-destination trips covering two exciting destinations. The new measure will also reinforce Hong Kong’s position as a regional cruise hub.”
“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Central People’s Government agreed on further services liberalisation and trade co-operation under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) on 9 May 2009. This was breaking news for Costa Cruises, as well as the cross-straits tourism industry”, said Leo Liu, General Manager China of Costa Crociere S.p.A., “Under Supplement VI to the CEPA, cross-straits trips will be open to Mainland tour groups, who hold valid exit and entry permits for traveling to and from Taiwan and travel endorsements, to route through Hong Kong. As the first international cruise company to enter the Chinese market, Costa Cruises quickly became aware of the many opportunities.”
The tourism cooperation across the strait has been vibrant and the tourists from the Chinese Mainland to Taiwan have been steadily increasing. According to the China National Tourism Administration, tourists from the Chinese Mainland have made more than 350,000 trips to Taiwan so far, following the lifting of the travel ban a year ago. Costa Cruises’ regular Taiwanese cruise itinerary will depart from Hong Kong during the months of January, February, May and June.
The five-day, four–night cruise holiday will bring Chinese tourists to Taiwan’s port city of Keelung, with off-board day trips to Taipei and Tai Chung. The launch of Costa’s regular cruise itineraries to Taiwan in 2010 will give a boost to local economies in these Taiwanese port cities. It is estimated that these cruises will bring more than 50,000 mainland Chinese tourists to these cities aboard Costa cruises.
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
