COSTA Asia has opened a marketing office in Tokyo with plans to aggressively grow the cruising market in Japan.
Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily at the launch reception in Tokyo on Monday, Buhdy Bok, president of Costa Group Asia, said he believes the Japanese market “could easily grow to be 10 times its current size.”
“We see Japan as a strategic market and we want to develop the cruising sector here to the point that it is seen as a mainstream vacation option,” he said. “The Japanese market is a sleeping giant.”
From summer 2016, Costa will introduce a casual family cruising concept to Japanese guests aboard the Costa Victoria. The recently refurbished vessel will take guests on six-day cruises between July and September, porting in Fukuoka, Maizuru, Kanazawa and Matsue in Japan and Pusan in South Korea.
“We believe it is all about finding the right combination of entertainment and facilities to unlock the potential of cruising in Japan,” said Bok.
“I do sense the uncertainty among the Japanese about cruising but we have chosen the itineraries with great care to avoid any anxiety among our passengers,” he added. “This means, for example, that the ships sail mostly at night, when passengers are asleep.”
