Japan’s cruise sector bounces back

AFTER a tumultuous 2011, Japan is looking forward to welcoming the highest number of foreign cruise ship calls on record in 2012.

International cruise ships are expected to make 350 calls to Japan in 2012, compared to 338 in 2010, and 185 this year, according to Japan National Tourism Organisation executive director Singapore office, Motonari Adachi.

This year, a total of 334 calls were expected. However, after the March earthquake and subsequent tsunami, a large portion of these never materialised.

Dario Rustico, vice president sales & marketing Pacific Asia Operations at Costa Crociere, said: “2011 was an ‘exceptional’ year for us, with the various geopolitical, financial and natural disasters around the world. In Japan, in particular, we had to cancel our itineraries from May to August because of the earthquake and tsunami.”

He added: “The overall profitability of our company was not affected though, as other areas such as South America and Dubai picked up the slack.”

Adachi said the record number of international cruise liners visiting Japan next year could be accredited to the return of the biggest players in the region, including Royal Caribbean and Cunard. “Royal Caribbean alone is purportedly making 100 calls to Japan next year,” he said.

Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises and Disney Cruises are also rumoured to be extending their upcoming itineraries to encompass Japan, said Yoshi Ohkuma, director of marketing-cruise division, Japan Travel Bureau.

Meanwhile, a number of ports in Japan are using tax incentives – on a local rather than on a federal scale – to lure foreign ships to the country’s shores.

Osaka, one of the main ports capable of handling larger cruise ships, introduced port entry fee exemptions in April, alongside discounts on wharf charges. In addition, the province’s port authority is currently in discussions with the local government to offer international cruise operators even more incentives.

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