The “Cruising Southeast Asia” atmosphere was electric at the Miami Beach Convention Center as Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand shared exciting plans for cruises in Southeast Asia, with port calls set to resume in the region in the second half of 2022.
USA – Resilience was the main theme at this year’s Seatrade Cruise Global Miami conference as speakers from global cruise lines offered insights into new cruising experiences from dream destinations during these ever-changing times, and it was the perfect opportunity for Southeast Asian destinations to outline the region’s way forward.
In addition to their participation at Seatrade, the group held an intimate dinner gathering with key cruise travel advisors from the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. The opening remarks from representatives of all four participating Southeast Asian nations focused on “Cruising Southeast Asia”, as they highlighted the region’s rich culture and unique offerings in the region that combine urban sophistication, local wonders, scenic landscapes, and world-class tropical resorts.
As the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, “we are back into travelling normalcy, and this is the right time for us to promote our organizations, partnerships and Southeast Asia destinations” stated Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board’s Mr. Akbal Setia.
“We are excited to welcome back cruising as our country and the rest of the ASEAN opens itself to the world again. Tonight, we celebrate unity and solidarity we promote the multi-faceted tour offerings of One ASEAN that prides itself with its rich culture, history, natural wonders, and our vibrant culinary scene,” the Philippines Department of Tourism’s Mr. Francisco Hilario M. Lardizabal said.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone to enjoy the wealth of experiences that Singapore and our unique Southeast Asian region have to offer, from our rich food, and culture, to the inspiring nature and architecture,” said Ms. Rachel Loh, Senior Vice President of Singapore Tourism Board Americas. The excitement in the room of South Floridian travel advisors was also evident when Ms. Britt Sorensen Ulrich of Singapore Tourism Board shared Singapore’s reopening status and that Southeast Asia is back in business.
Mr. Santi Sawangcharoen from the Tourism Authority of Thailand stated “We are so excited to be back promoting our countries individually and as part of ASEAN. Our region provides an enormous amount of culture and history, and we’re very safe. We have so many destinations, islands, and water activities, and so much more.”
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