THE Philippines is reaping the rewards of a growing interest in sea travel in Asia, especially as more cruise ships are calling at ports in the region.
Wally Cervantes, vice president and general manager of Arpan Air, which represents Royal Caribbean Cruises in the Philippines, commented that cruise operators are bringing more ships to the region and looking for new destinations to call at.
“(The Philippines is) a beneficiary of that upsurge, not only as a destination but also as a source market,” he said, sharing that the company will welcome seven ships this year in comparison with last year’s three.
Scheduled cruises in 2015 will stop in 10 ports including Manila, Boracay and Puerto Princesa, but some cruise lines are considering options in the country’s north.
Next month, the 1,814-pax Celebrity Century will make its maiden call at Manila and Boracay as part of a 14-day Vietnam-Philippines itinerary on a round trip from Singapore, with passengers mainly longhaul fly-cruise travellers from the US and Europe, said Cervantes.
Philippine tourism undersecretary, Benito Bengzon Jr, who spearheads cruise market development, said: “The numbers clearly show that cruise business is growing, and we’d like to take advantage of all the ships coming to South-east Asia.
“Eventually we expect Manila or another port like Cebu to establish itself as a hub for inter-island itineraries, which is one of the Philippines’ distinct advantages.”
The Philippines is tapping the cruise segment with industry and multilateral partnerships last year: a collaboration with Vietnam; the Asia Cruise Fund with Hainan, Hong Kong and Taiwan; and industry workshops and port inspections with the Cruise Lines International Association.
