STAR Cruises’ SuperStar Libra has been fully chartered for a 1,000-pax Indian incentive group that will sail out of Penang, Malaysia for a four-day/three-night cruise on July 15.
The group will consist of top-performing distributors and employees from APL Apollo Tubes in India.
The full-charter win for Star Cruises reflects the cruise company’s progress in the Indian MICE market and immunity thus far from the impact of the weakening rupee against the greenback which has resulted in a decline in demand for overseas and longhaul destinations (TTG India, June/July 2012).
Michael Goh, senior vice president of sales, Star Cruises, told TTGmice e-Weekly that MICE-related business in India had grown 20 per cent in 2011 over 2010.
“MICE or corporate incentive groups play an important role in Star Cruises’ growth in the Indian market,” Goh said. “On average, our fleet welcomes about two corporate groups of different sizes every month. These corporate clients come from a number of industries including insurance, cement, pharmaceutical, Fast Moving Consumer Goods and agriculture.”
He attributed Star Cruises’ success in India to the company’s all-inclusive cruise packages, diversity of MICE and other facilities onboard, and close partnership with travel experts in generating demand.
