Cruise lines say they are seeing an increase in business from the Middle East corporate market.
Four major cruise companies - Royal Caribbean, Silverseas, MSC Cruises and Costa - are all exhibiting at the Gulf Incentive Business and Travel show in Abu Dhabi (GIBTM) for the first time next week in a bid to promote cruise ships as an ideal meetings and incentive option.
Lakshmi Durai, executive director Royal Caribbean Middle East said interest from Middle East corporates in holding meetings and incentives events on board cruise ships has grown by 76% compared to last year. “Corporate business accounts for 10% of our total bookings for the year 2010. The insurance and pharmaceutical industries especially, are interested in booking meetings and incentives on cruise ships.”
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MSC Cruises’ chief executive officer Pierfrancesco Vago said: “Corporate clients are relatively new to appreciating the benefits of holding their meetings onboard a cruise line, but we are now receiving a steady stream of enquiries from this market.”
Lloyd Kenyon, exhibition director, GIBTM added: “Given the high cost of staying in some hotels in the region, cruising offers relatively good value, as state rooms start as low as $90 per person per day, including meals and entertainment. Dubai officials are forecasting a massive growth in cruise bookings in the next few years. Much of that will be as a result of bookings from the MICE sector.”
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