CRUISE LINES SEE OPPORTUNITY IN CHINA

There's an interesting item on Business Insider that talks about how the cruise lines are trying to cultivate the China market, with good reason. They quote an analyst who expects "the number of cruise passengers in the Asia-Pacific region could shoot up to 5.5 million by 2020 from just 2 million in 2010, assuming the Asian market grows as quickly as the European market did between 2000 and 2010."

The article also notes "cruise vacations are much better established in North America and Europe than in Asia . . .There are about 3.3 cruise passengers for every 100 people in North America and 1.1 in Europe. Asia, on the other hand, has only 0.2 cruise passengers per 100 people."

So far, Carnival and Royal Caribbean have been "early adopters" in China, but like any new venture, there's always a learning curve. Quoting again from the article: "The cruises Chinese customers have traditionally been accustomed to are often little more than gambling junkets . . .Getting consumers to think of a cruise as a family-friendly vacation option, or a high-end indulgence, is a critical part of growing the luxury cruise market."

I'm betting the cruise lines will figure it out. -- Gerry